Thursday, December 26, 2019

When to Use Ellipsis Points in Your Writing

Ellipsis points are three equally spaced points ( . . . ) commonly used in writing or printing to indicate the omission of words in a quotation. They are also known as ellipsis dots,  suspension points, or simply  ellipsis. EtymologyFrom the Greek, to leave out or fall short. Examples and Observations If you omit words, phrases, sentences, or even paragraphs in a quotation because they are irrelevant, do not change or misrepresent the meaning of the original quotation. . . .To indicate the omission of a word, phrase, or sentence, use ellipsis dots —  three periods with spaces between them. . . . Since the dots stand for words omitted, they always go inside the quotation marks or block quotation. Leave a space between the last quoted word or punctuation mark and the first ellipsis dot and another space after the last dot before the next word or punctuation mark.(Kate L. Turabian, et al. A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers, 7th ed. University of Chicago Press, 2007)   Original Sentence Points of ellipsis have two main functions: to indicate the omission of words within something that is being quoted, as discussed in Rule 2-17, and to indicate lengthy pauses and trailed-off sentences.Same sentence with ellipsis points to indicate an omissionPoints of ellipsis have two main functions: to indicate the omission of words within something that is being quoted, . . . and to indicate lengthy pauses and trailed-off sentences.(Adapted from The Handbook of Good English by Edward Johnson. Washington Square Press, 1991)   What other newspaper would solemnly print the following, which appeared in [The New York] Times for November 2, 1982: An article . . . Saturday incorrectly stated the number of positions possible for the Rubiks Cube. It is 43,252,003,274,489,856,000.(Paul Fussell, Class. Touchstone, 1983)   We wake, if we ever wake at all, to mystery, rumors of death, beauty, violence. . . . Seems like were just set down here, a woman said to me recently, and dont nobody know why.(Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. Harper Row, 1974)   Staff and family members often have very strong stereotypes about one another,† said Karl Pillemer, a gerontologist at Cornell University who has researched these relationships for 20 years. The staff sometimes feel families complain excessively — they’re too demanding. On the flip side, families sometimes feel that staff aren’t sufficiently caring, that staff are rude to them. . . . They often feel they have to coach the staff about how to care for their relative.(Paula Span, The Nursing Home as Battle Zone. The New York Times, Oct. 7, 2009)   Well, as is shown by the astonishing explosion of books and articles entitled The Rhetoric of . . . (see appendix to chapter 2), we are now invited to think hard about the rhetoric of everything.(Wayne C. Booth, The Rhetoric of Rhetoric: The Quest for Effective Communication. Blackwell, 2004) More Tips on Using Ellipsis Points Never alter quotations even to correct minor grammatical errors or word usage. Casual minor tongue slips may be removed by using ellipses but even that should be done with extreme caution. If there is a question about a quote, either dont use it or ask the speaker to clarify.(D. Christian et al, The Associated Press Stylebook. Perseus, 2009)  Use the terminal dash to suggest that a statement suddenly breaks off; use the terminal ellipsis to suggest that it trails away. As your C.O. Ill have to say no, but as your friend, well--.The Victorians are secure, but the modern novelists. . . . (Winston Weathers and Otis Winchester, The New Strategy of Style. McGraw-Hill, 1978)  Use an ellipsis to indicate that a list goes on beyond those items actually spelled out in the text: An evil witch, a tap-dancing scarecrow, flying monkeys, an emotionally unstable lion, disturbing Munchkins . . . Dorothy couldnt help but wonder if, in the wonderful Land of Oz, they sold guns. (Richard Lederer and John Shore, Comma Sense. St. Martins Press, 2005)   Its generally understood that quotes are excerpts from routinely drabber material. And youll be well advised not to start or end a quote with an ellipsis.(Rene Cappon, Associated Press Guide to Punctuation, 2003)   The Strong Ellipsis The strong ellipsis is a very weighty pause — a kind of big brother to the paragraph. It is most often used in novels to denote a significant lapse in time; in nonfiction writing it can be a deftly economical way of signaling the need for further thought and action or that the way forward is shrouded in uncertainty: It would be good to see him heeding this advice . . . As to what we do next . . . To be used sparingly anyway, the strong ellipsis is unlikely to strike writers engaged on academic or professional tasks as an appropriate device very often, if at all.(Richard Palmer, Write in Style: A Guide to Good English, 2nd ed. Routledge, 2002)   Ellipsis Points in the 20th Century In contrast to the unpredictable and extravagant lines of stars or points that burst across the pages of Gothic fiction, the three points have a discretion and a subtlety that highlight the very ordinariness of such dark perspectives at the end of the nineteenth century. And as the three points become increasingly common in the work of early twentieth-century writers--T.S. Eliot and Virginia Woolf, to name but two--the networks of symmetrical lines connecting one speaker to another and another that characterized Victorian fiction, are transformed into . . ., a new icon for a new generation.(Anne C. Henry, Ellipsis Marks in a Historical Perspective. The Motivated Sign: Iconicity in Language and Literature, ed. by Olga Fischer and Max Nà ¤nny. John Benjamins, 2001)

Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Defining Police Ethics And Ethics - 1044 Words

Running head: Defining Police Ethics Defining Police Ethics Juan C. Sanchez American Public University, CMRJ 308 August 23, 2015 In today’s society, professional values and ethics play a very important role in law enforcement. In order to lead a successful career in the police force, a person must have a strong principle of value and a great knowledge of what ethics. Any person in law enforcement that chooses not to follow the principles of value and ethics will most likely not have a very successful career. Lack of value and ethics may bring scrutiny, mockery, and humiliation to the police force that in turn could hurt a department s reputation. Proving a great amount of value for ethics and principal should be the agency’s main focus. Values and ethical decision making should certainly be a part of a police officer’s everyday life. They are the decisions we make; a person is described by his/her values or ethics. By young adults, characters are developed, and personalities are based on values and ethics. Values are measured as the guide that allows us to be able to make decisions. Ethics is a system of moral principles. Acting upon what is right and wrong is a simpler way of defining ethics. If a person is acting in an unethical way, it means that they are acting indecent and is disobeying his or her values. Ethics are about a person’s actions and behavior, and values are about a person’s beliefs. Values are considered to be the thin lineShow MoreRelatedEthics : Defining Police Ethics1455 Words   |  6 PagesPolice ethics play a major role in law enforcement today, ethics are fundamental towards helping law enforcement build trust within communities, provide public safety, and stop crime. Into today’s law enforcement, ethics is posing a major role with police corruption and police brutality. Police brutality has also been amplified majorly though the force multiplier or as we better know as the â€Å"media†. Defining police ethics come down to good police officer to bad police officer, or living by theRead MoreUtilitarian And Deontol ogy Theories1640 Words   |  7 Pages Analyzing Utilitarian and Deontology Theories in Police Behavior Utilitarianism and deontological theories have been known to be critical the organizational transformation of law enforcement. These theories or ethical perspectives help law enforcement officers to; identify and define problems, forces them to think systematically, encourages them to view issues through many different points or positions, and provides them white decision-making guidelines. Therefore, utilitarian and deontologicalRead MoreEssay on Criminal Profiling1253 Words   |  6 Pagesshows, the police officers were able to catch the criminals based on the criminal profile that forensic psychologists came up with. In a theory, the polices rely on criminal profiling to catch criminals, educate the public about a possible criminal, and confirm the witnesses’ accounts. Criminal profiling involves using various methods to guess a criminal’s background, behavior, and even preferences for the victims. In the reality, the prominent focus of profiling is on the offender’s ethic race. RacialRead MoreInter-Office Memo1514 Words   |  7 PagesINTER-OFFICE MEMORANDUM To: All Departments, and Officer Employees From: Colonel Pat Bacon, Director of the State Police Department Date: May 21, 2014 Subject: Planting Evidence, Perjury, and Falsifying Police Reports It has come to the attention of this department that there have been reports of questionable conduct from some of our officer employees. Police officers that are supposed to enforce the law, at times become more aggressive than the criminals themselves. HowRead MoreEthical Egoism: Louimas Case Study764 Words   |  3 Pagesall, building a moral system around reprisal out of some sort of preventive intervention would constitute shaky ethics at best. The only plausible attempt at justification on grounds of necessary and sufficient self-interest (Shaver, 2010, n.p.) in the Louima case would be that Schwartz and Volpe needed to make an example of Louima so he would spread the word not to take punches at police officers. This excuse breaks down immediately given someone else threw the punch (U.S. v. Volpe, 1999, n.p.).Read MoreEthics Game Reflective Journal1042 Words   |  5 PagesEthics Game Reflective Journal HCS/478 Health Law and Ethics April 16, 2012 Judy Ceppaglia Ethics Game Reflective Journal Ethical dilemmas surface daily in professional nursing practice. Whether you work in acute care, long-term care, hospice care, ambulatory care, managed care, or public health care chances are you will be responsible for making decisions in a situation of ethical concern. The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the ethical issues presented in the Ethics Game simulationRead MoreEthical Issues Of A Profession Of Interest1694 Words   |  7 Pagesbetween ethics, values, morals, laws and policies. Ethics are prepositional statements (standards) that are used by members of a profession or group to determine what the right course of action in a situation is. Ethics rely on logical and rational criteria to reach a decision, an essential cognitive process (Congress, 1999; Dolgoff, Loewenberg, Harrington, 2009; Reamer, 1995; Robison Reeser, 2002). It is essential that the distinction be made between personal and professional ethics and valuesRead MoreBiometrics and Ethics Essay1388 Words   |  6 Pagestechnology brought upon many unexpected ethical issues. When discussing about ethics, we need to talk about the importance of computers and be able to answer questions like: what is the reason for addressing the impact of computers on ethics? In his article â€Å"What is computer ethics?† Dr. James Moor analyzed and elaborated the very question. Dr. Moor begins his article by defining computer ethics. In his words, â€Å"computer ethics is the analysis of the nature and social impact of computer technology andRead MoreEssay on Jacksonville Shipyards1350 Words   |  6 PagesRunning head: Case 8.1 Jacksonville Shipyards Jacksonville Shipyards Ketty Taboada Strayer University Business Ethics-BUS290 February 24, 2008 Abstract Sexual misconduct in the workplace has been a problem for women and in recent year’s men as well. Unfortunately, in the past this topic was overlooked until the case of Meritor Savings v. Vinson. We will establish the criteria for determining when unwelcome conduct of sexual nature constitutes harassment according to Title VII. AdditionallyRead MoreThe Ethics Of The Finance Industry1376 Words   |  6 PagesIn one’s professional career one might be put in a situation where one has to consider not only the ramifications of one’s ethics, but also how ethical one’s decision is as a whole. In my career, I have never been put in an ethical dilemma, but at some juncture in my career in the finance industry, it is very possible I will. This paper will discuss; certain situations one might encounter in the business financial industry, what options one has in this dilemma, how certain ethical approaches would

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Reflective Essay Pride free essay sample

My first essay is about negative affects of peer pressure on teenagers.. There are certain things i go on about in my essay i wish i could have said better, or more things i would have like to compared towards peer pressure. For example, in my essay i would bring up a lot of thing about peer pressure leading into sex half of the stuff i said makes me fell like it could have been pharsed better. Personally i fell there could have been more evidence to back up my stance for sex during peer pressure. Also,i felt i could have blame more issues then drugs and alcohol. One thing i can notice about my second essay is that the ad i had chosen for my report was something that had interest me. Software for people who like to play games and i always considered myself and â€Å"avid† gamer so i chose that specific ad sense i’m a gamer. We will write a custom essay sample on Reflective Essay Pride or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Reading over my essay i wish there could have been a little bit more information i could add like the prices in the ad for the merchandise the company was selling other than that simple thing i’m pretty much satisfied with the essay like i said there are some aspects that could have been better but overall pretty good. Going over everything i did and some i attempted to do there are thing that i could have done to make my portfolio better. I wish i had done my othello essay and pride and prejudice essay it would have made a big difference in the quality of my writing portfolio. I’m just hoping that my portfolio is good enough because i think there’s a pretty good amount of effort that when’t into overall quality of the portfolio. One last thing i would improve on is turning in my essay on time so my teacher can grade it and not have to deal with me everday. Class Reflection 5. The most important thing i learned not just in english 12 but life as well is to push yourself harder and put a lot of effort into thing. 6. Just trying to deliver my work on time and put effort into my work when i do attempt to do it. 7. Just doing my essays i would say classwork i don’t think i had a problem with. 8. Turning in my essays thats the only thing i feel i lacked on. 9. Nothing really your setting use up for life you have to push use hard. 10. I hope you take it easy Ms. Lundeburg maybe i’ll come and visit after graduation.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Review of Related Literature About Inventory System free essay sample

The review of the literature for this study focuses on creating computerize inventory system for Cavite State University Marketing Main Campus. In order to create we need to find some helpfull resources about the study. Related Literature Janes (2001) stated that computers are extremely reliable device and very powerful calculators with some great accessories applications like word processing problem for all of business activities, regardless of size, computers have three advantages over other type of office equipment that process information because computer are faster, more accurate more economical.Reyes (2005) task would be time consuming to accomplish manually and more practical with the aid of computers field in cabinet. Dioso (2001) stated that computer assist careful intelligent planning, organizing, actuating and controlling . This maybe observed from the past that they monitor production activities, solve scientific problem and help arrive in tentative answer to a multitude of involve conditions. Ralph M.Stair (1999) emphasized that the development of technology through the years have enabled us to do more with less effort. We will write a custom essay sample on Review of Related Literature About Inventory System or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page From the orientation of the light bulb to the industrial revolution and beyond, we have continuously tried to in a more efficient means of doing tasks. Lewis (2002) stated that the reason for using computers vary from person to person. Some of the computers in business are to perform accuracy, to be as productivity, to decrease bottle necks or hassles to alter cash flows or to simples elevate your status. Sybex Inc (1999) stated that visual basic provide a graphical environment in which the users usually designed the forms and control that become the building block of tour application . Visual Basic support many useful tools that will help the user more productivity. Gold Chager et al (2003) said that computer as a device for processing information knew computer plays a significant role in their lives, but few are aware of just how pervasive role is.Gurewich (1999) stated that the database system makes the work faster for every institution. For the mere fact that instead of doing things manually, with the use of computer technology everything is done fasters. Huntchinson et. al (2001) stated that file is a collection of related records. Examples are the entire student’s courses card for Anthropology 101 or the transcript of all courses in the register’s office. Sander (2002) computers are an intelligence amplifier that can free human to use their time effectively.Because a computer is a fast and accurate electronic symbol or data manipulating system that design automatically accept and store input data process and procedure output results under the direction of the stored program or instruction. Towsand (2005) stated that database is structed collection of data. The data may be about people, product events in short, any type of information is to manage the collection of data for reporting and making decision.Adamski(2007) give some advantages of database processing first economy of scale getting more information from some amount of data, sharing data balancing conflicting requirement, enforcement of standard, controlled redundancy consisting integrity security ,flexibility and responsiveness ,increase programmers productivity, improve program maintenance and data independence Alcaria (2004) explained that the use of computer are continue to grow, the need for a more timely information and data processing comes on demand keeping the records of any manual operations need the application of computer because handling it manually will only be conflicting. Kroenke (2002) in the early 1970’s database processing was considered an esoteric subject of interest only to the longest corporation with the largest computer. Today, database processing is becoming an information system standard. Ahitud et. al (2007) Mentioned that information system are more collection of hardware, software and people. They should be constructed to fit the organization’s strategy and structure so that it could easily be adapted to the information they needed.Asumbra (2002) Access to information is the best way to. In line with technology access to information within fingertips is the easier way to be equipped in the future. Hammer (2003) Said that computer could eliminate the need for copying and rearranging information, which was entered into system. They also perform mathematical computation; in short computer can eliminate most of the paper works. Microsoft Corporation (2002) Explained that computer network are collection of computer and intelligent peripheral equipment that are inter connected by telephone lines, micro wave relays and other high-speed communication links of the purpose of exchanging data and sharing equipment. Related Studies

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Edgar Allen Poe Essays (560 words) - Free Essays, Term Papers

Edgar Allen Poe Essays (560 words) - Free Essays, Term Papers Edgar Allen Poe this is done through his use of setting and narrative style. In many of Poe's works, setting is used to paint a dark and gloomy picture in our minds. I think that this was done deliberatly by Poe so that the reader can make a connection between darkness and death. For example, in the Pit and the Pendulum, the setting is originally pitch black. As the story unfolds, we see how the setting begins to play an important role in how the narrator discovers the many ways he may die. Although he must rely on his senses alone to feel his surroundings, he knows that somewhere in this dark, gloomy room, that death awaits him. Setting is also an important characteristic is Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher. The images he gives us such as how both the Usher family and the Usher mansion are crumbling from inside waiting to collapse, help us to connect the background with the story. The Usher mansion appears vacant and barren. The same is true for the narrator. As we picture in our minds the extreme decay and decomposistion, we can feelas though the life around it is also crumbling. Narration is also an element in Poe's short story style that appears to link all of the stories together. He has a type of creativity which lets the reader see into the mind of the narrator or the main character of the story. Many of the characters in Poe's stories seem to be insane. The narrator often seems to have some type of psychological problems. For exapmle, In Poe's The Cask of Amontillado, the story opens with a first person narrator (Montresor) speaking about the planning of Fortunato's death. By the anger and remorse that Montresor has for Fortunato, one might think that this was a recent incident. It is not until the very end of the story that we realize, that the entire event occurred fifty years ago). Poe's stories often have narrators that feel extreme hate or extreme love for another character in the story. Another example of Poe's narrative style is seen in his story entitled, The Black Cat, where the narrator seems to have an obsession with pets. He has one special pet which is a black cat. Although their original relationship with each other is one of respect and love, the situation soon changes. The narrator becomes somewhat possessed with the hate for the car. He turns against his wife and stabs his cat in the eye. By the end of the story, he killed his wife in an attempt to kill the cat. Afterwards, the narrator does not even feel remorse for the wrongful death of his wife. Instead, he is just happy that the cat dissapeared. This is just another instance in which the reader wonders what is the driving force begins the narrator's insanity Even though there are many more elements to Edgar Allan Poe's short stories than just his creative use of narration and setting, these are characteristivs which has attracted the most attention. Poe has a way of writing in which he does not have to reveal too much, or paint a pretty picture for the reader in order to attract his attention ). There is also a prominent distinction between right and wrong in Poe's tories. Viscous characters tend to Bibliography no

Saturday, November 23, 2019

How to Write a Research Paper on Bullying

How to Write a Research Paper on Bullying Research Paper on Bullying How to start a research paper on bullying Tips on how to start Example of an outline Example of an introduction for a bullying research paper Example of a thesis How to write body paragraphs for a research paper on bullying Tips on body writing The 1st body paragraph The 2nd body paragraph The 3rd body paragraph How to finish a research paper on bullying Tips on conclusion writing Example of a conclusion for a bullying research paper Tips on revising a research paper How to start a research paper on bullying Start writing about bullying by creating an introduction. A writer should know that bullying is one of the most sensitive scenarios that we encounter in our modern society. Conducting a research on bullying is important because it provides an idea about bullying that occurs in all kinds of backgrounds and areas around the world. You can research the topic on the internet, library or by using scientific journals about bullying. Tips on how to start Before starting, you should introduce the topic of bullying. This includes discussing the meaning of bullying and the prevalence rate (if any) to a certain society where this type of a scenario is considered as a disturbing event to the community. The rationale of providing an introductory paragraph is to allow the audience to appreciate the topic that will be discussed in the research paper. Example of an outline I. Introduction about Bullying A. How negative is bullying B. Who is affected by bullying? II. Body Section A. Factors affecting bullying B. Consequences of bullying C. Solutions against bullying IV. Conclusion A. Relating bullying as a story B. Restating the thesis statement Example of an introduction for a bullying research paper Criminal elements have been known to bring risks in our society because it poses a greater risk of a safety threat, psychological suffering, and mental health problems. However, bullying is another term wherein law enforcement agencies fail to reconsider. The reason behind is that bullying was not often reported by schools or households due to lack of understanding of the scenario. Example of a thesis If a person experiences violence, verbal abuse, intimidation and coercion on a repeated occasion, they are now being bullied. Bullying commonly takes place in schools where students become vulnerable outside their home, students who are out of reach by their parents. This research paper seeks to determine the outcomes of bullying which is responsible for causing an irreversible harm towards the affected population. How to write body paragraphs for a research paper on bullying In order to write body paragraphs, you should divide several sections in the body section of the research paper. You will have to set a paragraph intended to discuss the factors affecting bullying towards a certain household or school. Secondly, indicate the type of bullying addressed towards a group of victims or a single individual affected by the scenario. Third, the effects of bullying along with the corresponding management of this activity towards the affected individual that will mitigate the risk of being bullied by the offending party. Tips on body writing Be consistent with the discussion of each sentence, phrase, or segments of the paper. Use simple and concise words that are easy to understand by the readers. Discuss direct to the point issues to easily target the main points of the subject matter. Consider the target audience that is relevant to the main subject to allow readers to relate the discussion to their personal experience. Discussing the research in shorter sentences prevents confusion for the readers. The 1st body paragraph Indicate the factors why bullying occurs at a certain area. You should indicate the specific place where bullying usually occurs. You can state several factors in terms of political, social, or security issues at the affected area. Factors determine several reasons why bullying occurs. This can be based on the lapses on laws that allow bullying to take over. In the absence of parenting is also considered a reason because parents are the first teachers of humans at home to show the right way of treating others and knowing what is right or wrong. The 2nd body paragraph Describe the type of bullying that is usually inflicted towards the targeted victim. Indicating the place, time, and frequency of bullying that impacts the physical and psychological well-being of the individual. Bullying can be discussed by detailing the scenario of the story. The scenario narrates the way or the type of harm applied towards the victim of the abuse, which could present how it was applied by the offending party. This is to further explain more details about the scenarios on how this unacceptable behavior has been perpetrated by a person with a violent intent. The 3rd body paragraph Discuss the impact of bullying towards the group or individual being targeted by the offending party. Identify the affected groups or organizations when bullying occurs at a certain period of time. The impact is usually based on physical issues wherein the victim sustained injuries that either minor or major depending on the condition or the type of harm applied. A psychological impact is a scenario wherein bullying has been impacting the emotional well-being of an individual that severely damaged their self-confidence or self-worth. How to finish a research paper on bullying Provide a piece of advice for a reader regarding helpful tips to protect anyone from bullying. Discuss the salient points or important ways to help individuals from any threat of harm by a group of individuals who were known to inflict harm towards others just to satisfy their anti-social behavior. And most importantly, you should have a conclusion to ensure a closure for the research paper that determines your final statement regarding the issue of bullying that happens in school or in any community. Tips on conclusion writing Make a final statement about bullying that discusses the use of abusive practices applied towards an individual or group from a dominant party. Discuss learning insight about bullying as it emphasizes on the significance of issues that made a significant lesson for your personal perception regarding the incidence of this unacceptable practice towards others. Establish commentaries and facts that are relevant towards the implementation of local government units or administration of the operating institution against bullying. Initiate recommendations about bullying as it is important to know the most precise way of preventing bullying in the workplace that can help others learn more about bullying solutions. Consider the negative implications about bullying, which concentrate on the impact of the victim’s physical, social, psychological, and security issues. Example of conclusion for a bullying research paper Bullying is a serious security threat that impacts the welfare of the society or household. This issue is normally reported worldwide in various social media and in multi-media networks around the world. The problem is that government institutions were not able to stop this practice due to lack of evidence presented by the victims unless there are facts and pieces of evidence that point out with the existence of the incident. Bullying cites several injuries, psychological damage, and mental degradation due to the infliction of harm towards the victim. Bullying is implemented when laws become serious enough to stop future incidents. Government institutions should install agencies that monitor bullying. If bullying practices are usually ignored, there will be more individuals affected by physical harm, psychological degradation, and mental stagnation. Tips on revising a research paper Check the format of your research if it is followed properly. Proofread to detect errors on the paper. Seek for your adviser’s additional comments on the research then revise. Scan your paper to scanning software to further correct errors on your research paper. Allow your colleagues to check the paper for any changes that can be applied.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Introduction to Mass Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Introduction to Mass Media - Essay Example Thus, Leo Bogart of the Newspaper Advertising Bureau observed that in the 1992 Winter Olympics, the CBS coverage was crammed with so many ads that the event itself has been relegated to a â€Å"mere sideshow.† Media is also a business concern and media organizations need advertising revenues to survive, but too much of ads smack of greed and present an irritating distraction to consumers. Regulating the volume of ad placement in media will not work, as demonstrated in the US when the National Association of Broadcasters required radio and TV stations to limit the quantity of their commercials in a given program as part of a code of ethics for the broadcast industry. The stations protested and the federal court subsequently ruled against the NAB-ordered limitation as arbitrary and monopolistic. Therefore, the best way to solve the problem of advertising clutter, I think, is to leave the matter alone to consumer welfare groups since it is the consumers themselves who feel slighted by this media practice. There are well-organized consumer groups everywhere who can mount a campaign to persuade newspapers and magazines, radio and TV networks to moderate their ad placements by appealing on their common sense and spirit of fair play. Among the possible arguments is that by serving up more ads than content, the newspapers or stations might alienate their readers or listeners who will feel that their interest is being subordinated to monetary considerations. Regulatory bodies like the Advertising Standards Canada have helped advance consumer interest in such areas as public health, child welfare and quality programming. For example, the ASC edict controlling or banning ads on alcoholic beverages in broadcast media, depending on the age and educational level of a program’s target audience, certainly promotes public health and well-being through responsible consumption of alcohol. The same benefit is derived from

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Entrepreneur Business Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Entrepreneur Business - Research Paper Example America is said to be built by such pioneers who were capable of performing such tasks out of their broad vision and hard work. Entrepreneurship is generally defined as the act of being entrepreneur, the individual who undertakes finance, innovation and business insight and shrewdness in order to convert the innovation into the finished economic goods. The outcome of such an entrepreneurship is the revitalization of mature organizations for the purpose of responding to the perception of opportunity. The initiation of a company is the most obvious shape of entrepreneurship and this has been taken ahead to include the political and social forms of the activity involving the entrepreneurial actions. In order to study the qualities of an entrepreneur in details I have selected Peter Smith, the father of Gerrit Smith, who has proven to be a successful entrepreneur of his time. There have been valuable contributions made by both son and father in the field of entrepreneurship. Peter was th e business associate of John Jacob and was qualified in the business practices of the 19th century. His creativity and unique behavior made him a successful initiator of creativity along with an entrepreneur and a businessman which he was made through his resourcefulness, ingeniousness, and opportunistic behavior. His toughness and pragmatism bestowed him with extreme optimism and talent. Smith has various records of untiring travelling as well which gave him much knowledge of the places and a chance to observe people and methods in order to enhance his keenness and analytical thinking. To be a successful entrepreneur, we can now understand that the personal skills and capabilities are just as necessary as the innate abilities. The major aspect and requirement of entrepreneurship is to be spontaneous and creative so that the decision-making ability is assisted at a faster pace. Optimism is the foremost requirement of being an entrepreneur and an ability to possess deep insights, bra instorming, and a bit of cunningness as well as creativity also works. For many writers such as Peter Drucker and Frank H. Knight, the skill of entrepreneurship is considered with the risk-taking potential of an individual. Its behavior is the reflection of the person’s potentials and efforts put in career financial security, and then, taking the risks. This risk taking involves the initiation of innovation or an idea and investing capital and time on the arrangement being initiated. The entrepreneurship involves uncertainty, fears, and planning and organizing the individual’s own resources in availing the opportunities and making decisions. As a result of being a good entrepreneur, the economic activities grow, and histories are written. The wise exploitation of resources gives rise to new organizations, sophisticated development of entrepreneurial thinking culture and fulfillment of people’s dreams. The ultimate is also the reduction in unemployment and povert y in the country since the skilled entrepreneurs are shrewd enough to exploit the resources for long-terms and useful gains. Moreover, a skilled entrepreneur keeps balances in his attitudes, behaviours, and personal and professional life. REFERENCES The Peter Smith Papers,

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Ford Corporation Essay Example for Free

Ford Corporation Essay The manufacturing capabilities kept on improving and in 1917 he built the Rouge plant that put the whole operation, from the raw material, to the final product, under the same roof. In 1915 Henry Ford’s son, Edsel Ford joined his father in the company. Edsel brought to the company the desire of making a product not only functional, but stylish and beautiful. Ford became entirely family owned in 1919 when Henry, his wife Clara, and Edsel bought the outstanding shares for 5,820,894 (Chapman, pp. 128) . The company would hold to this status until 1956 when the company would allow outsiders to buy shares. For many years the image of the company was the same as its leadership. Henry Ford passed the presidency to Edsel Ford in 1919. Henry Ford reassumed the leadership after the death of Edsel in 1943. After Henry Ford resigned, Henry Ford II assumed the presidency. The company inherited by Henry Ford II was not the same. Ford had fallen behind General Motor (GM) and Chrysler. Henry Ford II knew he had to regain terrain, so he contracted the Whiz Kids (a group of former US Army Air Force officers), and created a â€Å"sophisticated management system including accounting and financial controls† (Chapman, pp. 28). With the finance side in check, Ford gained increased its position, and became the number 2 car company in 1950. Ford products were not fuel efficient, and when the gas prices rose in the 70s because of the OPEC embargo, Ford lost many consumers. The company responded by closing plants and cutting jobs. After the storm, the sun came out in the late 80s with the launch of F ord Taurus and Mercury Ford was on the top of the game once again. The desire to diversify made Ford buy other brands and include it in its family such as: Jaguar, Aston Martin, Land Rover and Volvo. Bill Ford assumed the presidency of the company in 2001. It was the first time in 20 years that the head of the company was a member of the Ford family. Bill Ford drove the company through one of the worst times in history for the company: right after the extensive (and expensive) Firestone tires recall, and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Bill Ford went to ups and downs during his presidency. He saw sales improving slowly from 2001 to 2006, but the increasing competition from foreign brands such as Toyota, Nissan and Honda made him realize that he needed help taking the company to the next level. Alan Mulally became the new CEO in 2006. He was a new face in the auto industry, coming from Boeing Corporation instead from inside Ford or from another auto company. Mulally â€Å"demonstrated leadership skills Henry Ford had established many years ago. † Mulally brought to the company new energy, and a brave new plan. His most risky decision proved to pay off in the end. He decided to raise money by mortgaging almost all of Ford’s assets including the brand. His audacity put Ford as the most trustworthy American company. The money raised by Mulally helped keep Ford out of the government bailout of 2009. Ford Motor Company: The Problem(s) Ford has been a pioneer in the auto industry but it still faces a lot of problems to make it the number one in the industry. The increasing competition from other car companies to creatively and efficiently attract and retain customers made it difficult to gain the number one position. The economic crisis also made it hard to sell new vehicles. The quality of Ford vehicles have also gone down compared to what it was before. The slow reaction to change in consumer taste made Ford lag behind its main competitors. It was also late in expanding in international market and opportunities were lost to other brands. Ford Motor Company: SWOT Analysis Strengths One of Ford’s biggest strengths is its leadership. Since Henry Ford founded the company, the leadership has been proven to help the company throughout difficult times. Every leader brought to the company a new idea. Henry Ford wanted the company to produce an affordable product. His successor, Edsel showed that innovation is always necessary in this industry. Edsel wanted stylish and beautiful vehicles to carry the Ford brand. Henry Ford II with he help of the Whiz Kids developed a â€Å"sophisticated management system† what helped the company after World War II. He also â€Å"revitalized Ford with modern engineering, manufacturing, assembly, and distribution facilities in the US and 22 foreign countries† (Chapman, pp. 128). The strong and visionary leadership style of Henry Ford was shared by many other leaders of Ford. T he new generation, Bill Ford and Alan Mulally also presented the traits of a Ford leader. Bill by navigating Ford throughout harsh times, and for seeing that the company needed a change, a fresh start. He then passed the leadership of the company to Alan Mulally who proved to be exactly what the company needed. Mulally discovered that Ford lacked â€Å"global synergy,† he was surprised by the way that Ford was operating its brands. He saw that the company did not have central control, it took him a while to find out what was really happening inside the company. He also made really tough financial decisions, and reorganized the amount of brands and models offered by Ford. â€Å"With his leadership and conviction, Ford Motor Company stood apart from its competitors by standing on its two feet† (Chapman, pp. 33). Ford’s reputation is also an incredible strength for the company. Ford is seen as a family company. Henry Ford wants the employees to be able to buy cars, increased their wages, and was interested in sharing a piece of his family with others. Weaknesses Ford has proven to be slow to respond to changes in the environment and consumer tastes. They felt that they â€Å"got it,† and felt comfortable with it. Since the beginning of Ford, with a delay to offer cars in other colors than black, they experience a tardiness to respond to changes. One example was the excessive attention to SUVs and other gas inefficient cars when the gas prices spiked. When consumers were looking for alternatives to the gas drinking vehicles, Ford was fully producing SUV’s. Although SUV’s are Ford bestselling product, the fact that they were slow to make them more efficient or give costumers other styles to choose from, made Ford to lose market share to other automakers. Ford also lost terrain when they did not address earlier the ecofriendly trend. Toyota had the Prius which did not have much of a competition until recently. Currently, Ford has â€Å"12 vehicles with best in class fuel economy and 4 models with at least 40 mpg† (Chapman, pp. 137), and is developing plug-in models that use a combination of electricity and gasoline that will compete against the Chevrolet Volt. Opportunities Ford has the opportunity to expand its presence and capture market share in India and China. It aims to increase its revenues from international sales from 20 percent to 50 percent. The expanding market of the two countries allows Ford to focus on small, light and fuel efficient cars that are needed in the market. Ford has also been slow to respond to demands for small hybrid or fuel efficient cars in the United States. There is also an opportunity to increase standardization of the platforms used in world-wide production of vehicles. If this happens the cost of production would significantly lower and it would be easier to introduce new cars into new markets without building new plants. Ford can also further trim down the number of models out in the market and focus on cars they are widely known for such as light trucks and expand its model for smaller and fuel efficient cars. To target the higher end market, it should continue to build its Lincoln brand as a better alternative in the US and once established, export that brand to new markets overseas. Production from union controlled plants could also be transferred to non-union plants that can give Ford plants a competitive edge or be at par with other auto companies in compensation for workers. Ford can also consolidate more dealership to become more competitive and give them incentives to attract more customers thru financing and offering excellent customer service. Threats The auto industry is very competitive and technology driven industry. Ford has to constantly monitor its competitors to know how it will make its own decision. Companies will outbid one another in attracting new customers by giving them a lot of rebates, incentives and attractive financing. The technology for clean, fuel-efficient cars and alternate sources of fuel is also changing and without proper funding for research Ford could be left behind and lose in this expanding market. Any increase in price of raw materials could also increase production cost for Ford and make their vehicles more expensive. Demands of union workers also affect the competitiveness of Ford. They are currently paying higher compensation and benefits compared to the rest of auto industry. Changing consumer tastes also makes it difficult for Ford to quickly address and create cars that the market needs. Any decline in the US economy would also greatly affect the revenues of Ford. Most of the revenues of Ford comes from the US market and if the US economy goes into another recession it would decrease consumer spending and make it difficult to survive without government help. Ford Motor Company: Five Forces Threats of Substitute Products – High in Urban Areas, Low in Suburban Areas * With the increase of gas prices and traffic congestion consumers are now looking for alternate ways to commute between work and home. Consumers are increasingly being aware of their â€Å"carbon footprint† and are looking for clean and energy efficient alternatives to commute. In cities, the availability of public tr ansportation such as buses, subways and light rail systems gives commuters flexibility. Car-sharing options such as Zipcar are now also available in cities and have become popular. Rivalry Among Competing Firms – High * Competition in the auto industry is very high. Different companies compete aggressively in increasing their market share by giving incentives to customers. It is also important for companies to satisfy the needs and tastes of consumers. Companies also try to run an efficient supply chain to limit the cost of producing and increasing profit margins. * Threats of New Entrants – Low * The threat of new entrants in the local auto industry is low. The auto industry is very capital and labor intensive and it takes time for companies to establish their operations. The current companies have established their presence and market share but competition from potential, new and growing car companies in big markets such as China and India is inevitable. * Bargaining Power of Suppliers – Low * The auto industry sources its raw materials from global suppliers. The suppliers market is also a competitive industry. Bulk of their sales come from the auto industry and companies have established relationships to give them access to supplies and new technologies. The relationship of auto ompanies and suppliers are intertwined given that as auto companies increase production, supplier companies increase revenues. * Bargaining Power of Buyers – High * Consumers now have more choices that gives them a higher bargaining power. The economy is also improving and giving them more buying power. Unlike before where manufacturers dictate what the dealers will push to the consumers, consumers now make the demand for manufacturers to make fuel-efficient an d environment friendly cars. Consumers are also well informed and by being well informed they can ask for more incentives to dealers and car manufacturers. Ford Motor Company: Recommendations Under the leadership of Mulally Ford has significantly made changes to improve the position of the company. We recommend that Ford increase funding on research for fuel efficient cars, alternate sources of energy for smaller cars that the market demands and will create sustainability in its vehicles. Ford should also maintain or increase the quality of its vehicles by standardizing its platforms and improving its technology to detect any safety issues with its vehicles to avoid costly recalls that not only is expensive but tarnishes the image of the company. The economic crisis has made it difficult for other car companies not to be bailed out but Ford was able to maintain its independence by using its assets and enforcing better control in its finances. Ford can continue to be competitive by maintaining or lowering its operating costs. Ford has been known in its proficiency in having a tight supply chain were it can control the costs of production. Ford should be quick to adapt in changing consumer tastes. It should not be content with making products that they are known for and lose market share in new vehicles that are small, clean and fuel efficient. It should also make its current models cleaner and more fuel efficient to maintain attractiveness to consumers. Ford has great potential in new markets such as China and India. The reputation it has built as a well know car manufacturer in the US can be used to tap new customers in international market. Ford has built by its strong leaders and will continue to thrive if more reforms are made.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Can Science and Religion Co-exist? Essay -- Religion

Science and theology have diverged lines amongst several of the world’s phenomenon with the two greatest differences being human and world development. Although there are differences in the beliefs of these two groups, they are ultimately attempting to solve the same puzzles that consume the minds of members of both disciplines. In the end one might say, both disciplines are working to solve two different puzzles that may be really different, but ultimately are aspects of the same puzzle. Both the method and the aims of science and religion seem to be different. Science is considered to be more linked to the material aspect of all things, where religion is concerned with the spiritual. These are just two of the differences to be discussed in this paper, as I attempt to answer the question of â€Å"Can science and religion co-exist?† Science and religion both create feelings ranging from suspicion, distrust, and conflict to those of respect, tolerance, and conciliation. The feelings created are often dependent on an individual’s level of involvement with the corresponding discipline of study. Extremist in either discipline would be most likely to develop the negative feelings listed above, while those with knowledge of both studies would lean towards the feelings associated with respect and tolerance. Another group of individuals who would typically respect and tolerate the beliefs of both studies are those nestled in the roots of the rabbit’s fur (Gaarder, 2007). These would be those who are content living their daily lives not looking to solve the unknown questions of the world’s development. The contradiction amongst science and religion is found between those who look to find the missing pieces of the puzzle through means of myt... ... co-exist peacefully through conciliation is preferred, and for the most part is the norm. Works Cited Sickler, B. (2009). Conflicts Between Science and Religion, Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved 2/27/12 from http://www.iep.utm.edu/sci-rel. Shaikh, A.B. (2011). Science and Religion at the Crossroads: Conflict or Conciliation? Journal for Interdisciplinary Research on Religion and Science, No. 9, July 2011. Dennett, D.C. (2011). Science and Religion: Are They Compatible? Oxford University Press. Deem, R. (2006). Does the Bible Say God Created the Universe in Six 24-Hour Days? Retrieved 2/26/12 from http://www.godandscience.org/youngearth/sixdays.html. Gaarder, J. (2007). Sophies World. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, LLC. Palmer, D. (2010). Looking at Philosophy: The Unbearable Heaviness of Philosophy Made Lighter, 5th ed.. McGraw-Hill.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Extended Family Cover Essay

Survey respondents believe that women are not as â€Å"internationally mobile† as men, yet 80 percent of female expatriates have never turned down a relocation, compared to 71 percent of men. A second powerful assumption is that women encounter more work-life conflict while managing a global schedule. However, nearly half of both women and men report that they find work-life balance difficult. Finally, survey respondents believe clients outside the United States are not as comfortable doing business with women as they are with men. In fact, 76 percent of women expatriates said being a woman had a positive or neutral impact on their effectiveness overseas. Both women and men, managers and human resources executives, hold the preconceptions that emerged in this study about women’s ability in the international arena. Yet paradoxically, 90 percent of female expatriates, 91 percent of women with global responsibility who haven’t relocated, and 93 percent of men married to expatriates said they would accept their current assignments again. In fact, current expatriates (85 percent) and former expatriates (86 percent) believe global experience makes them more marketable to other companies. Compared in the past, companies at present become more open in having women as part of the workforce and consider them in equal footing as their male employees. Working Woman magazine cited Philip Morris as a company where 31 percent of all managers are women. With respect to international assignments, Philip Morris makes sure that women are tapped for those assignments. Another company, Hewlett-Packard, has a woman leading the company. The chair, president, and CEO of Hewlett-Packard is Carly Fiorina. She makes Hewlett-Packard one of only two companies in the Fortune 500 with a woman as chair, president, and CEO. Hewlett-Packard, which has a strong international presence, has a long history of supporting and promoting women (Palagano & Lee, October 2005). The next items are the list of favorable companies that provide as much benefits to working mothers in their organization: Microsoft, Bacardi and Computer Associates all offer family healthcare benefits packages for partners and their children. It helps to maintain high worker performance and establishing a caring reputation are the important motivating factors, as employers believe satisfied employees will spread the word about a company’s practices (â€Å"Extended Family Cover,† 2004). While BMW Plant Oxford, manufacturer of the Mini Cooper, presents different options of flexible, voluntary family benefits, that include insurance products, dental coverage and healthcare cash plans; workers have an option to devise their own benefits packages tailored to individual family needs. BMW also offers family social events, it is one of their strategies to improve worker morale and performance, intensifying job engagement and encouraging better relationships among employees (â€Å"Extended Family Cover,† 2004). IBM provides its employees with schedule flexibility, extended personal leaves and dependent care referral services. Also, IBM has recognized the need to conduct training programs that sensitize its managers to the problems that employees may encounter as they try to balance family and job demands. (â€Å"Extended Family Cover,† 2004). A pioneer in lactation support benefits, Procter and Gamble (P&G) has such programs at all its major worksites and in most of its production plants. This kind of strategy has helped maintain high morale and retention rates. It is also enhanced productivity and reduced absenteeism among female workers. Mothers schedule their own breaks in lactation rooms that have hospital-grade pumps, refrigerators for storing milk, curtained-off nursing stations for privacy and a supply of educational materials along with a registered nurse for onsite support (Callahan, 2005). Aetna Inc. ‘s Mothers at Work program, which received a 100% satisfaction rating from participating nursing mothers, has lactation rooms in its 50 locations and an in-house Web site with information for breastfeeding mothers returning to work. Nursing mothers receive an individual pump and professional lactation consultation. In 2004, 62% of Aetna employees nursed for six months, as compared with the 27% national average of nursing mothers (Callahan, 2005).

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Best Buy Case Analysis

Case Analysis Current Situation â€Å"Our formula is simple: we’re a growth company focused on better solving the unmet needs of our customers—and we rely on our employees to solve those puzzles. Thanks for stopping. † Richard Schulze started Best Buy and grew it to a million dollar company within four years. The future CEO of Best Buy learned that diversification in the stores’ offerings and serving various target segments led to increased market share.After going public in 1985, Best Buy changed from commissioned and specialized customer assistants to a non-exempt, hourly paid sale associates to ensure that customers’ needs are the employees’ top priority. In 1999, Best Buy successfully launched its online store. Through acquisitions of Napster, electronic sellers, and home appliances suppliers, Best Buy was able to grow and gain the resources necessary for its international expansion. By using backwards vertical integration, Best Buy was a ble to broaden their scope and have bigger economies of scale, achieving savings that were passed along to our customers.Related diversification has also allowed Best Buy to maintain revenues, even through the recent economic recession. Best Buy’s primary industries are Radio, Television, and Other Electronics Stores (NAICS 443112), Electrical and Electronic Appliance, Television, and Radio Set Merchant Wholesalers (NAICS 423620), Computer and Computer Peripheral Equipment and Software Merchant Wholesalers (NAICS 423430) and Household Appliance Stores (NAICS 443111). Price per share as of February 19, 2013 is $17. 33.In September 2011, Best Buy was named to the 2011 Dow Jones Sustainability index for corporate citizenship and philanthropy, social reporting, stakeholder engagement and operational eco-efficiency. Currently, Best Buy’s greatest struggle is facing new industry competitors. The company is losing market share to online retailers, such as Amazon, and to its p rimary suppliers, including Apple, HP, and Dell. Best Buy’s suppliers have taken an approach to reduce the intermediaries between company and its customers, strategies that have left Best Buy out of the loop.In order to stay ahead of competitors (in terms of market share and sales) Best Buy has implemented a permanent price matching policy that was launched during the 2012 holiday season. This tactical move will help Best Buy retain its existing market share, but maintaining costs low enough to support this pricing strategy might be difficult for the showroom giant. In regards to diversification, Best Buy has enlarged its scope from home and car stereos, to nearly all electronic appliances and to multimedia offerings such as DVD’s, CD’s, videogames, etc.Best Buy has also continued customer relationship managements by implementing after-purchase support and diversifying its offerings by acquiring Geek Squad, Best Buy’s task force that provides technical su pport and installation of various software programs for recently purchased electronics. General Environmental Analysis The general environmental analysis emphasizes the trends that occur in the technology, demographics, economics, political/legal, sociocultural, physical and global segments of the environment.The goal of this analysis is to help find which of these segments will have the most impact on Best Buy over the next few years. Based on research and data we believe the segments that will be the most relevant to Best Buy are the demographic, technology, sociocultural, and global segments. Demographically, the United States population is getting larger, older, and more ethnically diverse. There are approximately 315,398,676 people in the United States, making it the third largest country in the world. The United States has grown by 103% since 1950 and is estimated to have a population around 440 million by 2050.An influencing factor in the population increase is that Americans are living longer. Due to advances in healthcare, people are living and contributing to society longer. Baby boomers, the biggest segment the U. S. population, are now becoming senior citizens and have caused the 65+ population age to shift from 8. 1% in the 1950 to over 12. 4% today. The United States continues to move up the list as one of the most racially and ethnically diverse countries in the world. The prevailing trend is the significant increase in the Hispanic population, stronger in the next few years.This growth is caused by immigration; more Hispanics are coming to the United States seeking refuge, jobs, or a better life for their family. As the population continues to change, Best Buy must find ways to cater to all generations, and avoid dependency on demographics and traditional marketing. They must target specific market segments and foresee the needs and wants of different generations through relevant and integrated marketing promotions. Specific targeting of custom ers will help Best Buy retain customers and create company loyalty. Technology is another segment that will have a major impact on Best Buy in the near future.Predictive analysis, social media, and multichannel retailing are trends that are most important in Best Buy’s general environment. Knowing your customers is a critical part to any industry, and predictive analysis is becoming one of the best ways to accomplish that objective. By correctly using technology to control the high volume and availability of data, companies can understand customers’ wants. A core competency of both Amazon and Netflix predictive analysis; based on previous purchases or views Amazon and Netflix can recommend items that the customers may be interested in, and the customer can give feedback about those recommendations.Predictive analysis is becoming more prevalent online, and to stay competitive, pure brick-and-mortar companies must follow suit. Best Buy uses predictive analysis through re ward programs and by analyzing consumer purchases. The company then sends coupons or information about promotions that may meet a customer’s profile. A simple example could be a person buys a DVD player and predictive analysis could be used to send that customer offer or promotions on DVD’s. Social media continues to be a growing trend in today’s business. Customers are now turning to social media to get information about companies and their products.According to research 70% of consumer use social media to hear about other consumers experiences, 65% use it to find information on brands, products, and services, 50% share concerns, 53% compliment brands, and 47% share money incentives. A person’s influence in social media circles can determine the extent of the benefit or harm to a company’s reputation; this is especially true with celebrities and athletes with millions of followers. Best Buy can take advantage of these statistics to improve their s trategic competitiveness by targeting champions to test new products and promotions and diffuse the findings through social media.The company can also use social media to show customers that they voicing their concerns matters, and solving customers’ problems, which would lead to an increase in customer retention and brand loyalty. Multichannel retailing is also becoming one the more relevant trends in the general environment. Consumers today have more options of purchasing points than ever before. With the latest technology, consumers can order a shirt using their cell phone, computer, tablet, or the retail store. This trend mixes with sociocultural trends and offers consumers convenience and a better shopping experience.This is relevant to Best Buy because it allows more ways to reach customers. Best Buy can send information to customers’ mobile devices and take advantage of impulse buyers by offering a venue for them to buy directly, without having to go to store. O verall, Best buy has made efforts to improve a customer’s experience through a variety of tactical decisions. Trends in the sociocultural segment are another area that will have an impact on Best Buy through its general environment. One of the biggest trends in this segment is convenience.Location/ access, variety/availability, speed of service, price, and environment are all big factors when it comes to convenience and play a big part in consumer beliefs about the benefits of shopping at a specific store. Best Buy does its best to make stores convenient with a variety of displays, Geek Squad on hand, and a friendly environment. Best Buy has increased convenience by offering products online for customers who prefer to stay out of the brick-and-mortar store. Best Buy focuses on these efforts by offering free shipping and by developing the Best Buy Marketplace, which will increase the variety and brands accessible to consumers.Another change in the attitude of consumers is the trend of aspirationalism. People today have a heightened sense of aspiration and have many goals they hope to accomplish. As a result consumers expect companies to meet all of their expectations as fast as possible. This need is fulfilled by speedy service and Best Buy’s in-store Geek Squad is capable of meeting goals quickly and efficiently. To keep up with expectations and competition, Best Buy must provide the latest technology and equipment to customer whenever they need it.Global trends that are sweeping the market are expansion into international areas and environmentally friendly (or â€Å"green†) initiatives. Many companies are looking to expand to overseas markets due to the potential growth in markets such as China, and India. In fact, according to Forbes. com, China is forecasted to have 10 to 16% share of world GDP growth from 2007 to 2014. Best Buy has made a strategic decision to invest in China with their growth initiative, where they hope to open approx imately 50 stores and implement Best Buy Mobile store-within-a-store concept in 2013.Environmentally friendly or â€Å"green† initiatives are an important trend to consumers and companies. Consumers are now more aware of their carbon footprints and against companies who fail to be eco-friendly. One thing that retailers like Best Buy are doing to be eco-friendly is reducing the size of packaging. Recyclable paper is now one of the main packaging ingredients for retailers like Best Buy. This is important because it will improve the company’s reputation and keep them in a positive light with consumers. Industry AnalysisBest Buy is in the retailing Radio, Television, Consumer Electronics, and Music Stores industry (443112), which sell household appliances, home entertainment devices and electronic products. In this industry, these retailers typically sell new products from manufacturers and wholesalers and often offer repair services for their products. Best Buy their serv ices are their Geek Squad division. Over the last five years, the industry revenue has dropped an average rate of 5. 0% annually ending in 2012 at $72. 2b. This decrease is also expected to continue to decline another 2. 8% (this year? ).But in the years leading up to 2017 the forecasts state that with the continuingly recovering economy revenue for this industry will also slowly crawl up at an average of 1. 3% each year. In the Radio, Television, Consumer Electronics, and Music Stores industry, the threat of new entrants is low due to the fact that there are many barriers to entry. The biggest barrier is the large amount of competitors in this industry and similar industries. The leading competitors are online retailers like Amazon, discount stores like Wal-Mart, appliance retailers like Lowes. With Best Buy holding 49. % of the market share and RadioShack holding 4. 8% it’s hard for new entrants to play with organizations that have established brand recognition and the vari ety of products that these retailers have. Another barrier to entry is that it requires a lot of startup capital to purchase all of the merchandise that is needed to compete with Best Buy. The threat of substitute products is low because Best Buy has close relationships with manufacturers and wholesalers of many prominent brands that will usually keep Best Buy ahead of the game by receiving the newest products from the hottest brands.There is also not many substitute products that are available that the consumer would be interested in purchasing. The ability the consumer has to go anywhere from online, to discount stores, to other electronic retailers makes the bargaining power of the buyer to be extremely high. Customers are now able to find the best products at the best prices online or are able to do price matching Bargaining power of suppliers is extremely high because Best Buy buys most of its merchandise from Sony, Samsung and LG, etc. This gives these organizations the upper hand and the ability to determine the price at which to sell its products to Best Buy.Best Buy essentially is forced to pay any amount that these large organizations think is appropriate based on the demand of the products at any given time. The competition among retailers in the consumer electronic industry is high with Wal-Mart being the frontrunner in the competition. Wal-Mart’s price matching strategy has led consumers to purchase electronics at Wal-Mart for lower prices. The mere size of stores like Wal-Mart and Costco has made competition fierce for Best Buy because it is nearly impossible for them to keep up the quantity of goods that are available at the super size discount stores.Amazon is another extraordinary threat to Best Buy, as well as to the industry as a whole, because Amazon enables the consumer to view a larger range of products online at time that is convenient for them. Home improvement stores like Lowes and Home Depot have also drawn many customers to th em with their elite selection of household appliances like dishwashers, stoves, and refrigerators. Internal analysis Best Buy’s internal environment has certain qualities that have affected its primary goal of making a profit.Best Buy’s top management recently changed after its CEO Brian Dunn resigned in April 2012 after it was revealed that he had had an inappropriate relationship with a female employee. This was only a little over three short years after he came to the position in June 2009. Hubert Joly, a French businessman, took over the position of CEO on August 17, 2012. Richard Schulze, who created Best Buy and sat as chairman of the board of directors, also resigned in June 2012, and Hatim A. Tyabji was his replacement. Hubert Joly, as the new CEO, had many problems to solve when he came to the position.The stock prices were down 50% at the time. Best Buy’s financial struggles are reflected in the income statement from the 3rd quarter of 2012, which is t he most recent financial information available. In this quarter, Best Buy had a net loss of $13 million, showing a significant decrease from the 3rd quarter of 2011, in which there was a $173 million net income. Top management attributes this sharp decline in income to a lower gross profit rate, higher sales, general, and administrative expenses, and lower revenues. The 3rd quarter of 2012 showed revenues in the United States of $7. million, down 4. 7% from the prior year period. Best Buy’s fixed expenses are significantly higher than its competitors because of the costs of maintaining large superstores. These brick and mortar locations are one of Best Buy’s most expensive resources, and the costs associated with them have become one of Best Buy’s greatest weaknesses. With high costs, Best Buy has struggled to compete with its competitors’ prices, causing a decrease in revenue as well. Best Buy announced in 2012 that it planned to close 50 superstores and lay off hundreds of employees.Best Buy’s products include gadgets, movies, music, computers, mobile phones, and appliances. In order to create value that its competitors cannot easily provide, Best Buy also offers services that include installation, maintenance, technical support, and subscriptions for mobile phone and internet services. In 2002, Best Buy acquired Geek Squad, a well-known computer repair service. Now, when customers buy a computer from Best Buy, they have the option to also purchase coverage from Geek Squad at a relatively low price. Best Buy’s customer service is continually improving as it is investing more in employee training and compensation.The sales associates ask customers a series of questions to get to know their unique needs and are therefore able to find the product that best suits them. This superior customer service and technical support is a core competency of Best Buy because it provides extra value for the customer, it is rare that a company can provide the variety of products Best Buy offers as well as expertise to handle issues with all of them, it is very difficult to imitate because of the high costs associated with training and compensation, and the experience of providing customer service face to face is not easily substituted.Many people expected Best Buy to see the same fate as its previous competitor, Circuit City, who had closed all of its stores in January 2009 after declaring bankruptcy. Joly, however, has made efforts to turn around the strategy of Best Buy by lowering costs, improving customer service, and decreasing store sizes in order to help Best Buy remain competitive in its industry. Identification of external opportunities and threats Best Buy has many opportunities that must be recognized before their window of opportunity expires. Proper external analyses are essential in running, and maintaining a sustainable business.There are four key components to external analyses. These include scann ing, monitoring, forecasting, and assessing. When a company like Best Buy participates in scanning they are attempting to anticipate changes in the general environment and recognize changes that are already occurring. They then monitor those changes to see if relevant trends can be identified. Forecasting will be a challenge to Best Buy because of rapid changes in technology. It is nearly impossible to predict what will happen in the future because Best Buy is unaware of the type of resources they will have at their disposal.Once Best Buy has taken the first three steps it is important that they assess the information, so that they can interpret the data and use it in a competitive manner. After Best Buy does an in depth external analyses they will realize their opportunities include growing the services offered to customers, expanding its mobile services, and growing internationally. If Best Buy grows its services offered to customers it could potentially create value through incre asing in store traffic and online purchasing. Expanding mobile services is a highly attractive opportunity for Best Buy.Although Best Buy has seen a decrease in sales in many of its stores, Best Buy Mobile has proven to be quite successful in the current market. Best Buy has seen a 5% loss in comparable stores, which would have been a 15% loss if the sales of Best Buy Mobile did not make up the damage. Acknowledging Best Buy as a global brand could have a significant impact, and presents an intriguing opportunity to Best Buy. Global innovation, consumer electronics, and the use of technology have never been more important in an international market than they are today.Best Buy has experienced success and failure in the international market. They have had success in Canada and Mexico, and have been unsuccessful in Europe and China. Best Buy needs to figure out how to adapt to foreign markets where they have been unsuccessful. If Best Buy can adapt to foreign markets more effectively than competitors it could create a competitive advantage. The way to successfully analyze an industry like the one Best Buy is in is through the Porter’s Five Forces Model. This will indicate whether or not the opportunities the industry presents are attractive enough to outweigh the threats.The first aspect of Porter’s Five Forces is the threat of new entrants. In an industry like Best Buy’s the threat of new entrants is not very high. Best Buy has already driven multiple competitors out of business. There are high barriers to entry, and Best Buy would not hesitate to retaliate if any new entrances transpired. The second aspect of the Porter’s Five Forces Model is the threat of substitute products. This is a concern for Best Buy because many of its competitors are selling similar products online.The products they sell are not highly differentiated amongst competitors, and many consumers feel their competitors provide a more convenient option. Best Buy th en must analyze the bargaining power of both suppliers and buyers in the industry. Best Buy serves as a middle man, so they do not have much power. This means that the bargaining power of suppliers is high. There are 20 suppliers that Best Buy uses for 65 percent of their products. Five of those 20 suppliers can account for 40 percent of their products.The bargaining power of the buyer is incredibly high in this industry because consumers have several different options, and different ways to purchase the products they want. Consumers can even browse products at a local Best Buy location, search for it online to see if their competitors offer a similar product at a lower price, and purchase the product somewhere else while they are in the store. The final aspect of the Porter’s Five Forces Model is to analyze the rivalry among competing firms. Best Buy’s industry provides a vast amount of rivalry among existing competitors.Purchasing consumer electronics online has beco me a common trend amongst consumers in recent years. Online retailers can maintain low costs because they don’t have the costs associated with brick and mortar locations. This allows companies like Amazon. com to steal market share from Best Buy. Other successful companies that are competitive in the industry are Wal-Mart, Costco, and Radio Shack. Based on the Porter’s Five Forces Model our analysis of the industry that Best Buy is in does not look too attractive. We would conclude that we should avoid this industry, and pursue a different direction.Strategy Development Best Buy’s big box retail stores currently follow a focused cost leadership strategy. Best Buy is best known for its big-box retail stores that offer a narrow scope of products that mainly consists of electronics. Best Buy generally advertises low prices, low price guarantees, and they offer price matching at many locations. Best Buy wants their consumers to perceive them as low cost so it can be inferred that they follow a cost leadership strategy, and since they only operate within the electronics market then that makes it a focused cost leadership strategy.The Best Buy Corporation follows a related diversification strategy. Other than the large retail locations, Best Buy currently owns Geek Squad, Best Buy Mobile, The Carphone Warehouse, and Five Stare Appliances. All of these stores have related resources, products and services. The Best Corporation tends to stick with electronics retail stores and related services. For example, Best Buy stores sell computers while Geek Squad repairs and services computers. One business serves and supports the other.Best Buy has a good corporate strategy where they only buy and operate business that sell consumer electronics or support/service consumer electronics, but best must address issues with their business level strategies. The bulk of Best Buy and its other companies business is electronics retail from brick and mortar locations where Best Buy acts as a middle man between electronics consumers and electronics manufactures, but because of internet retailers there is increasingly little need for brick and mortar retailers like Best Buy.Current trends show that more and more people are buying online because it is generally cheaper since people can buy direct from manufactures. If this trend continues, Best Buy’s big box retail stores will become obsolete and start to lose money. Best Buy has an online retail service but the brick and mortar locations still make up the majority of Best Buy’s sales. The first recommendation is that Best Buy should shift the retail part of their businesses to being more online, while keeping the non-retail services like Geek Squad.The next recommendation is that Best Buy should grow more internationally, specifically Europe. Best Buy has a strong presence in North America, but has a lot of room to grow in Europe. In Europe Best Buy mostly exists as The Carphone War ehouse, which is similar to the American Best Buy stores but the majority of The Carphone Warehouse revenue comes from selling electronics insurance and electronics repair. Best Buys could expand more into the European electronics retail market both in-store and online.Strategy Selection We believe that the better of the two strategies is to move the retail parts of Best Buy’s business to being more online. They shouldn’t move it completely online, but Best Buy should try and sell more online to try and compete with the online retailers. Best Buy has had problems with people coming into stores, looking for items, and then going home and buying them online from places like Amazon. If the customers are buying online then Best Buy should be more competitive online.The brick and mortar stores could be more like show rooms that advertise products for the online store. If Best Buy takes this route, they should then make their online prices more competitive and be sure to adv ertise those lower online prices in the stores. Implementation In the next 3 to 6 months, Best Buy can implement its strategy of increasing profit by cutting low performing stores, increasing advertising, and increasing employee training. On the tactical level, Best Buy should cut the stores performing in the bottom 2%, which would be about 28 stores.This will lower the high fixed costs associated with maintaining large brick and mortar locations. Best Buy should then move the inventory from these locations to warehouses used for online purchases and buy more warehouses if necessary. Best Buy should also increase advertising for its new price matching policy in order to gain back some of the market it lost to competitors like Amazon. On the operational level, Best Buy should increase its training to employees so that sales associates gain valuable customer relationship management skills that provide value to customers.These tactical and operational moves will cause challenges that B est Buy must address. First, a large number of layoffs can reflect badly on Best Buy, possibly causing its stock prices to be lower. Best Buy could combat this by launching a â€Å"goodwill campaign,† expressing the savings that will be passed on to its customers. Secondly, increasing warehouse capacity could lead to high costs for Best Buy. The company should combat this by controlling its inventory holding costs and ensuring that online sales match its inventory.Finally, the cost of training employees will be a challenge to meet. Best Buy must make this training worth the expense by ensuring that the quality of customer service will result in revenues high enough to cover the costs. Customer surveys would be a good quality control for the sales staff. Customers should be given the option to answer questions about their Best Buy experience via text messages, calls, or email, and sales associates should be given rewards points for good reviews.

Friday, November 8, 2019

Major General Joseph Hooker in the Civil War

Major General Joseph Hooker in the Civil War Born November 13, 1814, at Hadley, MA, Joseph Hooker was the son of local store owner Joseph Hooker and Mary Seymour Hooker. Raised locally, his family came from old New England stock and his grandfather had served as a captain during the American Revolution. After receiving his early education at Hopkins Academy, he decided to pursue a military career. With the assistance of his mother and his teacher, Hooker was able to gain the attention of Representative George Grennell who provided an appointment to the United State Military Academy. Arriving at West Point in 1833, Hookers classmates included Braxton Bragg, Jubal A. Early, John Sedgwick, and John C. Pemberton. Advancing through the curriculum, he proved an average student and graduated four years later ranked 29th in a class of 50. Commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 1st US Artillery, he was sent to Florida to fight in the Second Seminole War. While there, the regiment took part in several minor engagements and had to endure challenges from the climate and environment. Mexico With the beginning of the Mexican-American War in 1846, Hooker was assigned to the staff of Brigadier General Zachary Taylor. Taking part in the invasion of northeast Mexico, he received a brevet promotion to captain for his performance at the Battle of Monterrey. Transferred to the army of Major General Winfield Scott, he took part in the siege of Veracruz and the campaign against Mexico City. Again serving as a staff officer, he consistently displayed coolness under fire. In the course of the advance, he received additional brevet promotions to major and lieutenant colonel. A handsome young officer, Hooker began to develop a reputation as a ladies man while in Mexico and was often referred to as the Handsome Captain by the locals. Between the Wars In the months after the war, Hooker had a falling out with Scott. This was the result of Hooker supporting Major General Gideon Pillow against Scott at the formers court-martial. The case saw Pillow accused of insubordination following refusal to revise exaggerated after-action reports and then sending letters to the New Orleans Delta. As Scott was the US Armys senior general, Hookers actions had long-term negative consequences for his career and he left the service in 1853. Settling in Sonoma, CA, he began working as a developer and farmer. Overseeing 550-acre farm, Hooker grew cordwood with limited success. Increasingly unhappy with these pursuits, Hooker turned to drinking and gambling. He also tried his hand at politics but was defeated in an attempt to run for the state legislature. Tired of civilian life, Hooker applied to Secretary of War John B. Floyd in 1858 and asked to be reinstated as a lieutenant colonel. This request was denied and his military activities were limited to a colonelcy in the California militia. An outlet for his military aspirations, he oversaw its first encampment in Yuba County. The Civil War Begins With the outbreak of the Civil War, Hooker found himself lacking the money to travel east. Staked by a friend, he made the trip and immediately offered his services to the Union. His initial efforts were rebuffed and he was forced to watch the First Battle of Bull Run as a spectator. In the wake of the defeat, he wrote an impassioned letter to President Abraham Lincoln and was appointed as a brigadier general of volunteers in August 1861. Quickly moving from brigade to division command, he aided Major General George B. McClellan in organizing the new Army of the Potomac. With the beginning of the Peninsula Campaign in early 1862, he commanded the 2nd Division, III Corps. Advancing up the Peninsula, Hookers division took part in the Siege of Yorktown in April and May. During the siege, he earned a reputation for looking after his men and seeing to their welfare. Performing well at the Battle of Williamsburg on May 5, Hooker was promoted to major general effective that date though he felt slighted by his superiors after action report.   Fighting Joe It was during his time on the Peninsula that Hooker earned the nickname Fighting Joe. Disliked by Hooker who thought it made him sound like a common bandit, the name was the result of a typographical error in a Northern newspaper. Despite the Union reverses during the Seven Days Battles in June and July, Hooker continued shine on the battlefield. Transferred north to Major General John Popes Army of Virginia, his men took part in the Union defeat at Second Manassas in late August. On September 6, he was given command of III Corps, which was redesignated I Corps six days later. As General Robert E. Lees Army of Northern Virginia moved north into Maryland, it was pursued by Union troops under McClellan. Hooker first led his corps in battle on September 14 when it fought well at South Mountain. Three days later, his men opened the fighting at the Battle of Antietam and engaged Confederate troops under Major General Thomas Stonewall Jackson. In the course of the fighting, Hooker was wounded in the foot and had to be taken from the field. Recovering from his wound, he returned to the army to find that Major General Ambrose Burnside had replaced McClellan. Given command of a Grand Division consisting of III and V Corps, his men took heavy losses that December at the Battle of Fredericksburg. Long a vocal critic of his superiors, Hooker relentlessly attacked Burnside in the press and in the wake of the latters failed Mud March in January 1863 these intensified. Though Burnside intended to remove his adversary, he was prevented from doing so when he himself was relieved by Lincoln on January 26. In Command To replace Burnside, Lincoln turned to Hooker due to his reputation for aggressive fighting and chose to overlook the generals history of outspokenness and hard living. Assuming command of the Army of the Potomac, Hooker worked tirelessly to improve the conditions for his men and improve morale. These were largely successful and he was well-liked by his soldiers. Hookers plan for the spring called for a large-scale cavalry raid to disrupt the Confederate supply lines while he took the army on a sweeping flanking march to strike Lees position at Fredericksburg in the rear. While the cavalry raid was largely a failure, Hooker succeeded in surprising Lee and gained an early advantage in the Battle of Chancellorsville. Though successful, Hooker began to lose his nerve as the battle continued and assumed an increasingly defensive posture. Taken in the flank by an audacious attack by Jackson on May 2, Hooker was forced back. The next day, at the height of the fighting, he was injured when the pillar he was leaning against was struck by a cannonball. Initially knocked unconscious, he was incapacitated most of the day but refused to cede command. Recovering, he was compelled to retreat back across the Rappahannock River. Having defeated Hooker, Lee began moving north to invade Pennsylvania. Directed to screen Washington and Baltimore, Hooker followed though he first suggested a strike on Richmond. Moving north, he got into a dispute over defensive arrangements at Harpers Ferry with Washington and impulsively offered his resignation in protest. Having increasingly lost confidence in Hooker, Lincoln accepted and appointed Major General George G. Meade to replace him. Meade would lead the army to victory at Gettysburg a few days later. Goes West In the wake of Gettysburg, Hooker was transferred west to the Army of the Cumberland along with the XI and XII Corps. Serving under Major General Ulysses S. Grant, he quickly regained his reputation as an effective commander at the Battle of Chattanooga. During these operations, his men won the Battle of Lookout Mountain on November 23 and took part in the larger fighting two days later. In April 1864, XI and XII Corps were consolidated into XX Corps under Hookers command. Serving in the Army of the Cumberland, XX Corps performed well during Major General William T. Shermans drive against Atlanta. On July 22, the commander of the Army of the Tennessee, Major General James McPherson, was killed at the Battle of Atlanta and replaced by Major General Oliver O. Howard. This incensed Hooker as he was senior and blamed Howard for the defeat at Chancellorsville. Appeals to Sherman were in vain and Hooker asked to be relieved. Departing Georgia, he was given command of the Northern Department for the remainder of the war. Later Life Following the war, Hooker remained in the army. He retired in 1868 as a major general after suffering a stroke that left him partially paralyzed. After spending much of his retired life around New York City, he died on October 31, 1879, while visiting Garden City, NY. He was buried at Spring Grove Cemetery in his wifes, Olivia Groesbeck, hometown of Cincinnati, OH. Though known for his hard drinking and wild lifestyle, the magnitude of Hookers personal escapades is a subject of much debate among his biographers.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

3 Types of Misplaced Modifiers

3 Types of Misplaced Modifiers 3 Types of Misplaced Modifiers 3 Types of Misplaced Modifiers By Mark Nichol Poor placement within sentences of words that provide details can hamper comprehension. Take care to avoid the various types of pitfalls demonstrated in the following examples, which are followed by discussion and a revision. 1. The company has been an extremely integral partner for our organization over the past years, both from delivery and leadership perspectives. Because the conjunction both precedes the preposition from, the construction assumes that a complementary preposition will precede â€Å"leadership perspectives† in order to fully parallel the phrase â€Å"from delivery,† but placing from before both allows it to serve as the preposition for delivery and â€Å"leadership perspectives† alike: â€Å"The company has been an extremely integral partner for our organization over the past years, from both delivery and leadership perspectives.† 2. The photographs evoke a time when samurai swordsmen and silk traders found refuge from a bloody uprising against Japan’s shogun in California’s Gold Country. This sentence erroneously suggests that the bloody uprising occurred in California’s Gold Country. Relocating the geographical information so that it immediately follows the key word refuge resolves the issue: â€Å"The photographs evoke a time when samurai swordsmen and silk traders found refuge in California’s Gold Country from a bloody uprising against Japan’s shogun.† 3. From time immemorial, writers have drawn on these syndromes to tell stories, from Lewis Carroll to Philip K. Dick. In this case, an adjectival clause, a parenthetical phrase that provides more information about a noun, has been relegated to the end of the sentence, appearing to nonsensically modify stories, instead of being immediately adjacent to the pertinent noun (here, writers): â€Å"From time immemorial, writers from Lewis Carroll to Philip K. Dick have drawn on these syndromes to tell stories.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Cost-Effective vs. Cost-EfficientDeck the Halls150 Foreign Expressions to Inspire You

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Two-party system in Texas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Two-party system in Texas - Essay Example a growing challenge to the Democrats in Texas even though the characteristics of the state today lean towards the side of the Democrats more than the Republicans (Young, 2008). The leaning towards the Democratic Party was evident even during the times of Andrew Jackson since the earliest politically motivated individuals working in Texas were close friends of Jackson with strong ties to the Democratic Party. Even though the elections at the time were dominated by personality and charisma issues more than political leanings, those who won elections in Texas were more likely to be democrats than anything else. Even after the civil war and the reconstruction era, the individuals who settled in Texas were Democratic Party sympathizers and the Republicans could do little to gain a lot of power in Texas (Young, 2008). Even through the progress of the First World War and the depression, democrats held on their power base in Texas due to â€Å"the oil, land and financial barons who traditionally kept conservative Democrats in power (Time Magazine, 1966, Pg. 1)†. However, things changed after the Second World War when the increasing importance of oil placed the Texas democrats in a conundrum. While the democrats suggested greater control of the federal government and the improved need for looking at the greater good, the Republicans presented a different picture with regard to the natural resources of the state (Young, 2008). The rights of the state with regard to the natural resources found in the state were supported by the Republicans who offered the idea of less federal interference in state matters. This idea became quite attractive to many people in Texas as they did not appreciate the democrats handing over the resources of the state to the federal government. Further, the issue also weakened the Democratic Party in Texas as factions within the party had different ideas as to how the issue should be handled. From 1976 to 1992, the democratic presidential