Managment of business system Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Managment of business system - Assignment Example Hence, it is no point in keeping such an extensive product line when most of our revenues are from a short number of products only Process Types: With the large number of product variety, the process takes the form of batch process. Such a process type requires quite a narrow but specialized skills. Getting skilled manpower from is the highest factor resulting in high costs. Moreover such a process type requires changeovers at each stage of production thereby increasing the complexity and the costs of the production process. Process Layout: With a reasonably large variety and volume, the appropriate process layout is a combination of functional layout with elements of cellular layout. Such a combination is difficult to manage as the manager has to keep track of a large number of processes going on simultaneously. This type of layout requires free flow of product pieces and resources in the organization. The most important characteristic of such a layout is the flexibility of path, product design and lot size (Shim and Siegel, 1999). Hence, it calls for an extensive coordination amongst the workers. Since more than one item might be vying for a same resource, the time in production of the item increases, some of the products might have to wait to get the appropriate resource. This results in a decrease in productivity. Skills required: With the large number of product types, it becomes necessary to have a wide range of skills that are differentiated. These specialized skills increase the overall cost of the products. Managing different skills becomes another challenge as the manager has to keep track of the various resources that will be required for various products. Design issues: With the large types of products being produced in the organization, the employees are not in better position to contribute towards the betterment of product design. As a result, the organization fails in launching new design products that enhance the customer

Netflix Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Netflix - Case Study Example NetFlix has near zero rental charges for its subscribers and that is what sets it apart from its rival firms. Having satisfied the 3 basic criteria’s for successful business, this paper is aimed at examining what were the possible driving forces that led to such good market standing of the company. Along the same discussion we also point out various strategic and competitive challenges that the firm might face in near future and suggest means to minimize the impacts of those threats. Introduction At the onset, Netflix started off as a DVD rental provider that used internet to take orders. Subscribers made their selection over the portal and mailed in their orders. The DVD’s would then be delivered via mail. The entire system allowed the customer to keep the DVD’s as long as they wished to, without an extra charge. Netflix derived its major revenue from their subscription plans that incorporated costs of streaming, mailing and renting of videos. As we moved to the digital age, internet streaming and online viewing has caught up. NetFlix has welcomed the change and continues as leader by innovation i9n the video rental market. DVD renting, though, has not lost its value just yet (Hillary, Alex, & Ian, 2009). In this paper, we would analyze NetFlix’s market standing, its business model and its business and marketing strategy using various tools like the SWOT analysis and Porter’s five forces to determine the company’s key success factors and staying strength. Moving forwards, the discussion continues to determine the critical areas that might need immediate attention for NetFlix’s sustenance and also suggest some marketing and strategy recommendations that might prove useful in revenue and subscription improvement. Analysis Strategically speaking, video rental industry is more competitive that an oligopoly or a monopoly. This is believed to be in stark contrast with what the general opinion holds. An industry where instant availability drives the market, the paper tries to analyze what forces have led to success of NetFlix and what could be the possible challenges in the given scenario through various tools (Null, 2003). SWOT Strengths NetFlix is a well established brand and known to almost every Household Extensive and Assertive marketing has etched its name in memories of individuals Competitive Pricing has won the loyalty of the masses. Good relation and strong business with suppliers makes NetFlix, a good name among Video providers. NetFlix and a widespread presence which gives it an advantage due to ease of access. NetFlix has a wide array of offerings in videos, in both TV episodes and movies. The company has been constantly upgrading itself to higher technology and better capabilities. Weaknesses Damaged DVD’s demand a high cost of replacement. This might act as discouragement to frequent video buyers. NetFlix takes slightly longer time to procure and deliver videos. Speed in del ivery is the pillar of success in this particular and this drawback could put NetFlix in a fix if it sustains for long. Customers who are not very frequent with movie rentals rarely find something else that might catch their fancy Video streaming fails to include all movies within its program. Opportunities NetFlix could try selecting movies that might have a recurring demand with customers. Such movies could be displayed on their video streaming channels (Lewis, 2001). The company could experiment with creating a collection of movies and TV shows of the subscriber’

The Pollution Caused by Cruise Ships Essay Example for Free

The Pollution Caused by Cruise Ships Essay Cruise ships and the industry as a whole are vital to the economic stability of the local port cities in which they dock at daily. These ships carry up to 3,000 passengers who spend enormous amounts of money at tourist locations around the world. It is estimated that millions of dollars are generated and placed into the tourism markets annually. This is great news for local communities that depend on the cruise ship industry in order to survive, however it is bad news when it comes to the environment. Cruise ships create a massive amount of waste which ends up polluting our water ways and sending vast levels of pollutants into the air as well. These large ships typically produce around 170,000 gallons of waste water, 21,000 gallons of sewage, 6,400 gallons of bilge water, and 1 ton of solid waste per day ((Brooks Dunn, 2012). Unfortunately, these waste products are dumped into our oceans, seas, rivers, and lakes. There are numerous laws, regulations, and guidelines to prevent such things from happening but most of the cruise ship operations have found a way to work around them. They understand that states such as Alaska and Washington prohibit dumping of waste materials in their waters. The cruise ship corporations have taken advantage of the relaxed laws of places like British Columbia (B.C.) which for the most part allows them to release their waste products into their water areas. This presents a dilemma for the cruise ship industry because they ultimately have to decide between making a profit and being environmentally sound. Corporations such as the cruise ship industry have an ethical responsibility to meet all environmental regulations and laws regardless of where they are sailing. Corporations have an obligation to the general public and that includes making sure they are meeting standards set forth by the government. Environmental groups have a major influence on the general public and can create enough pressure where the reputation of a company is tarnished and sales start to decrease. It would be to a corporation’s advantage to show the general public that it is going above and beyond meeting environmental needs regardless of the rules in a particular country, state, etc. When sailing in international waters cruise ships should go by the strictest of all guidelines. Ethically, a corporation should set the standard for all others to follow. They can’t allow relaxed rules to be an excuse for creating environmental damage. The general public would feel betrayed to learn that a company built on having good, â€Å"clean†, vacation fun is in fact dirtying up the water ways. CEOs of such corporations should exercise due care and professional skepticism. They should ask how my actions will affect the water ways in the future. In addition, executives should question the rules of other countries and do everything in their power not to take advantage of weak laws. Port cities depend on tourism to generate revenue within their communities. It is of the most importance to balance the needs of tourism against the needs of maintaining an environmentally safe society. Compromise is essential in the effort to reduce as much waste going into our waters as possible. These tourist destinations should always work with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to develop reasonable plans that can be accomplished slowly in order to prevent pollution now and in the future. It is understood that cruise ships will always have waste products to get rid of so decisions should be based on what is good for the environment not solely on tourism. The responsibility to maintain a clean and healthy environment is up to everyone. Corporations have a major responsibility as well because they can influence the thoughts, ideas, and beliefs of the average citizen. If a major corporation promotes the idea of improving air and water quality then it can influence the actions of other corporations. The cruise ship industry is in the position to set the standards for all to follow. They have the ability to show others that no matter the location or circumstances that a standard set of rules should always be followed. They should not let profit get in the way of doing the right thing. In the long run doing what is expected is more important than profit. The general public would accept a rise in ticket prices for a cruise if they were informed that it is because of the environmental rules they are trying to follow. Profit is the main goal of any organization, but it should not come at the expense of people’s health and well being. If the proper research is conducted and coordination between countries is established then it should be no reason why environmental needs should not be met. The general public is the first priority of corporations and every effort of compromise should be attempted. References Brooks, L. J., Dunn, P. (2012). Business professional ethics for directors, executives accountants. (6th ed., p. 530). mason, oh: cengage.

Is Bottled Water Better Than Tap Water Environmental Sciences Essay

Is Bottled Water Better Than Tap Water Environmental Sciences Essay Dark clouds of bottled water industry are spreading over the minds of innocent US consumers day by day. These clouds pour drops of rain that is washing brains and pockets of consumers together. Bottled water industry, as the name suggest, is an industry that is selling a free gift of nature very efficiently. According to Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), more than half of the US population drinks bottled water. The consumers are not just rich white Americans, but also low income Hispanics, Blacks and Asians (NRDC). The sales of bottled water are increasing regularly making it the second most ever consumable drink after soda after soda, says Elizabeth Royte, an American author, in her book Bottlemania (67). This enormous sale of bottled water tries to prove that it is a consumer choice product. People, who are drinking bottled water, view bottled water as a regular consumption product. However, the reality is otherwise. This really simple product has remarkably concurred the m inds of consumers by making them believe that it is the purest form of drinkable water with no negative effects. Thirst stricken consumers have easily fallen into the pit created by bottled water industry. This industry is not only affecting the minds of people, but is also hurting our environment. Royte analyzed the bottling plants in different regions of the US and concluded that these industries are sucking water from small towns by forcefully owning someones private property making the water level to decrease other water reservoirs of those areas (256). One more problem that comes in clinging with these small bottles is the recycling issue. Only a small percentage of these bottles get recycled and the rest is dumped into landfills (Royte 34). Overall, bottled water industry is a culprit of effecting environmental and human health. How people feel about the safety between using bottled water instead of tap water depends on the degree to which they have internalized the ideology of the society. The well-known American Attorney, Gerry Spence discusses ideological control in his article, Easy in the Harness: The Tranny of Freedom. He says that people have been so controlled by the ideology of society, that it has become very difficult for them to make truly free decision. Spences contention is clearly demonstrated in those who believe that usage of bottled water is far healthier and safe than tap water. According to Naideinko, a medical surveyor and a writer, bottled water is also a very much leading cause of spreading number of harmful diseases, in some cases fatal including cancerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. In other words, bottled water can be totally revese of being healthier. Tap was a major channel that provided people with drinking water throughout the world until in 1977, when bottled water was introduced says Elizabeth Royte , an American author, in her interview with Ira Flatow, a National public radio host that it was the first branded packaged water in the US. It started as a fashion symbol, and led its way to a health savior (Royte). This journey of bottled water from a fancy commodity to a necessity seems to be a very difficult one because buying something that is available almost for free does not make sense. Think about paying for oxygen. If a company claims to sell pure and pollution free oxygen in plastic cans, would anyone like to buy it? This question is of course ridiculous. So, after looking at the sale of bottled water one question strikes the wires of mind is that how bottled water became a business when tap water is available almost for free. Anne Leonard, an environmental activist, says in her online video, The Story of Bottled Water that it (sale of bottled water) all started when soda companies felt that their business is falling. They, in order to keep up their business, made a unique decision that is selling water. They labeled in Perrier and started selling it. It was not an easy goal. So they used marketing demand (Leonard). Further, She adds that bottled water companies used three strategies including scaring the consumers, seducing them and misleading them. They scared the consumers by making them believe that tap water is for sure hazardous to health. Elizabeth Royte in her book, Bottlemania, states a quote by Robert S. Morrison, vice chairman of PepsiCo, The biggest enemy is tap water(Royte 170). So, if tap water is an enemy, which means it can harm the consumers, then what is to drink? The answer was obvious; the only water from pristine springs of Fiji or other pure water sources comes the misleading part. Al most 40% of bottled water is just filtered tap water and this applies to major brands like Aquafina and Dasani (Royte). So, the pictures of pritisine waterfalls and ever green forests is nothing but just a scam. The technique of scaring, seducing and misleading is working really successfully. Bottled water is seen everywhere including schools, offices, stations, airports and hospitals says Jane0t Majeski Jemmot, a Readers Digest writer, in her article, Rethink What You Drink; Growing Thurst. It is indeed a joyous event for bottled water companies because they made impossible, possible just by making environment to pay a heavy price for a natural resource that is technically already free. After bottled water succeeded to gain confidence of consumers, its growth started to mount. Actually Bottled water industry is working on the mechanism of viruses that enter human body unchecked and then they start replicating every minute. People in America consume nine billion gallons of bottled water that sums up to hundreds of millions of dollars says Martin Lewis, an internationally recognized water expert and a critical writer, in his article, Costly Water: Bottled and Sold: The History Behind Our Obsession with Bottled Water. Such a huge consumption of bottled water is not a good news because when bottled water is compared with tap water, barely any difference can be seen. Moreover, tap water has to follow more strict regulations than bottled water when it comes to purity. FDA (The US Food and Drug Administration), that regulates bottled water and EPA (Environmental Protection Agency),that regulates tap water have different rules regarding the contents and quality of bottled water. NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), an environmental group, provides a data showing the difference between the rules of FDA and EPA in its article, Bottled Water; Pure or Hype? The data shows that testing frequency for bacteria in bottled water and big city tap water is once a week and hundred times a week respectively. It further states that bottled water companies are not required by to have certified operators ,whereas; big city tap water requires certified technician to do the job. Most surprisingly, FDA doesnt give consumer any right of knowing what is in the bottle. On the other hand, big city tap water department is required to let people know what is in the tap water. Catherine Golub, an environmentalist, in her article, Liquid assest; Is Bottled Water Really Better Than Whats on Tap? She states that FDA regulates bottled water as a food product and it receives less federal inspection that tap water, which is controlled by EPA with strict standards. She further discussed the survey of NRDC,a nonprofit consumer group, conducted on 103 brands of bottled water. The results showed that one third exceeded the state limits of contamination with bacteria and chemicals. Also, only 5% of these bottles met the standards of fluoridated/regular water. It turns out that bottled water is no healthier than tap water. Next concern is about the plastic bottle itself. These bottles are made out of PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate). According an article, Bottled water may contain hormones: Plastic, by Janet Raloff, this water may also pack a substantial quantity of estrogen-mimicking pollution, according to researchers at Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt(3). He discusses an experiment done on snails by Johann Wolfgang Goethe University experts. Two species of snails that were very sensitive to estrogen were placed in plastic and glass water (one in each). The snail in bottled water showed an enormous production of embryos concluding that plastic can leach estrogen into water. Obviously, estrogen can cause genetic changes when males are subjected to it. Even though, bottled water is a small package but it has huge circumstances. Apart from the health issues, bottled water also helps human beings in degrading the environment in the form of global warming, water waste and increase in garbage. Making of these bottles requires a lot of oil (to run the plants). When this oil is burned, it adds to global warming as mentioned in, Water Wars; Bottled or Tap, by Mother Earth News. One can wonder that how much oil is it?. The answer shows a mounting 1.5 million gallons of oilenough to run 100,000 cars for a whole year, while transporting these bottles burns thousands more gallons of oil (Mother Earth News). Moreover, the water used for reverse osmosis of bottled water is a lot more than one showed on the store shelves. It takes 3-9 gallons of water to get 1 gallon of water using purification plants. Apart from purification, a large amount of water is used to cool down and wash the water plants (Royte 140). While many lakes in the US are drying up and people suffer from water shortage, bottled water companies keep on w asting them. Elizabeth Royte, an American author, in her book, Bottlemania says that Lake Superior, Huron, and Michighan which contain 20% of worlds water surface are becoming steep since late 1990s. Nestle pumps 114 billion gallons a year from groundwater that goes to Lake Michigan (201). Last, comes the garbage problem. After a bottle is produced using a lot of water and oil, we drink it in about just 1-2 minutes. In this era of going green, almost everyone is concerned about the recycling of waste and maintaining a clean healthy environment. So, now a question arises that do these bottles fill the criteria of environmental friendly? According to The Story of the Bottled Water, by Anne Lenard, an environmentalist, 80% of the used bottles end up in incinerators, where they burn to produce toxic gases or they are dumped underground, where it takes about 1000 years for them to degrade thus making a healthy land unavailable for a long period of time. The remaining is recycled. Here the term recycle doesnt mean they are recycled immediately after being used. These bottles are shipped all the way to India to get recycled, again using a lot of fuel. The story doesnt end here. In India, ideally these bottles are supposed to be recycled, but unfortunately that is not what happens. These bottles remain there as big heaps of plastic, or they are thrown into someones back yard creating a problem for them. In this course of bottled water production to its disposal, the need is of about 1-2 minutes but the time required for the rest of the course is 1000 times more. Bottled water not only affects health of humans and earth, but also deprives us from money. The ecological foot print is not negligible. The price of bottled water is a lot more than tap water. People in the US are paying up to $2.50 to $ 3.00 per gallon that is even more than that of petrol says Amanda Woods, a journalist and a producer, in her article, The Cost of Bottled Water. On the other hand, the price of tap water in the United States is $1.50 for 1,000 gallons or less than a penny a gallon. So, people are paying 1000 folds for something that is virtually free. This money can be used for other needs. Even though bottled water has its cons, its pros are forcing its booming sale. First of all, it is easy to carry. Its light weight and soft plastic (so it can squeeze into pockets of back packs) makes it convenient to carry when going out. Secondly, it is already filtered water i.e. you dont have to filter water every time you want to drink it. Also, it is light in weight unlike the metallic bottles that can be used to carry water. IBWA (International Bottled Water Association) provides information about the regulations of bottled water. Many bottled water companies have decreased the weight of bottled water to 36.2% according to bottled water reporter section of IBWA. Also, tap water in many areas of the US is contaminated. Tap water has been reported to contain life threatening chemicals such as lead. Mireya Navarro, a New York Times reporter, in her article, Higher Levels of Lead Seen in Tap Water, mentions that elevated levels of lead are reported in New Yorks water. According to Environmental Protection Agency 15 parts per billion of lead in water is considered to be elevated. The amount of lead found in New York city water is reported to be 16 parts per billion. However, the portability is not enough to cover up for all the trouble that bottle water causes to health, wealth and environment. Also, bottled water is not a solution to water problems. The first step to save health, wealth and environment is to try the tap water again. It does take a lot of courage because people are mentally scared from it-thanks to the bottled water companies. Tap water is environment friendly with no economic or environmental problems. Tap water in the US is best for drinking because EPA regulates water to make sure no contaminants get through the tap (Royte 220). Cynthia Dougherty, director of the EPAs Office of Groundwater and Drinking Water says, I wouldnt hesitate to drink tap anywhere in the country (Royte 220). This solves the problem for most of the tap water concerns. Local tap water utilities can be contacted any time to get tap water checked. Also, bottled water costs up to 10,000 times more per gallon than tap water as stated in an article by Mother Earth News, Water Wars: Bottled or Tap?. About the quality of tap water Eric Glodstein, a water specialist from NRDC says, The citys water is nearly pristine(Royte 101). It is easy to find out the quality of tap water. Customers can call the EPAs toll-free safe drinking water Hotline at 800-426-4791, or visit the website for the Campaign for Safe and Affordable Drinking Water can as stated by Jannet Majeksi. Second step is to cut back on bottled water. With the availability of stainless steel bottles, it has become easy to avoid bottled water. These bottles can be used to carry water. Majeski points out that water that comes out of tap is safe. Generally, contaminants in drinking water dont go over the limitations of EPA, but if there are still concerns like chlorine smell or taste then filters can serve the purpose. Elizabeth Royte talks about Brita filters that she uses, in her book, Bottlemania(224). Going back to tap and cutting back on bottled water, are two necessary steps in saving the health of environment. Furthermore, many campaigns are going on in different states of the US against bottled water. Government is also taking part in these campaigns. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom has banned bottled water usage in the city says Mayor Gavin Newsom issued an executive phasing out the citys bottled water use says Shawn Query, an author, in his article, SAN FRANS BOTTLED WATER BAN. Natural Resources defense Council (NRDC) is an environmental group. Its main motive is to invoke awareness among people about the safe use of natural resources. It provides reports about the quality of tap water in almost every city across the US. Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) is another group working for the security of water. It organizes events to help the consumers seek awareness about the quality of bottled water and its effects on environment. This year it is organized a water week 5-11 September. The theme was, The water quality challenge. Other than organizations many public institutes a re also taking steps. For example, college students along with volunteers from Corporate Accountability International, a vigorous group, every summer hold events at public places. In these events, they fill water from different sources and challenge people to drink it. Mostly people cant differentiate between bottled and tap water (Royte 140-141). The problems like health issues and environmental pollution, needs a serious attention by both public and government, and this issue as whole needs to be brought up on a higher level of society, so that everyone will get well-aware of this deception. In order to have that completed, every individual has to stand up by him/her self. Otherwise, in the essence of Spences argument our Blind-minded society will have to suffer one day. Work Cited 1).Bullers , Anne Christiansen. Bottled Water: Better Than the Tap? FDA consumer magazine. July-August. 2010. 6. Nov. 2010. Web 2) Golub, Catherine. Liquid Assets: Is Bottled Water Really Better Than Whats On Tap? (Cover story).Environmental Nutrition 24.9 (2001): 1. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. 3) International Bottled Water association. 4 Nov. 2010. 4) Jemot, Janet Majeski. Bottled Water Vs. Tap Wtaer. Readers Digest.com. 8 Nov. 2010. 5) Leonard, Anne. The Story of Bottled Water. 17 March. 2010. YouTube. 6 Nov. 2010. Web 6) Lewis, Martin W. Costly water: Bottled and Sold: The History Behind Our Obsession with Bottled Water. Issues in Science Technology 27.1 (2010): 85-88. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. 7) McGrath, Tom, and Kate Dailey. LIQUID ASSETS. Mens Health (10544836) 19.2 (2004): 142-149.Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 24 Nov. 2010. 8) Natural Resources Defense Council. Navarro, Mireya. Higher Levels Of Lead Seen In Tap Water. New York Times 5 Nov. 2010:A28(L). Global Issues In Context. Web. 7 Nov. 2010. 9) Olga, Naidienko. Bottled Water May Be Harmful. Opposing viewpoints: Resources center. Detroit, Greenhaven Press, 2010. Print. 10) Query, Shawn. SAN FRANS BOTTLED WATER BAN. E The Environmental Magazine 18.5 (2007): 24.Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 24 Nov. 2010 11) Raloff, Janet. Bottled water may contain hormones: Plastics. Science News. Magazine of the Society for Science and Public, 12 March 2009. Web. 4 Nov. 2010. Royte Elizabeth. Interview with Ira Flatow. Why Americans Are Obsessed With Bottled Water. npr 23 Nov 2010. Web 12) Royte, Elizabeth. Bottlemania. First. New York: Bloomsbury, 2008. Print. 13) Spence, Gerry. Easy in the Harness: The Tyranny of Freedom. From freedom to slavery: the Rebirth of Tyranny in America. New York: St. Martins Griffin, 1989. 51-63. Print. Water Wars: Bottled or Tap?. Mother Earth News 226 (2008): 19. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 16 Nov. 2010. 14) Woods, Amanda. The Cost of Bottled Water. Suit101.com 17 Jun. 2009. Web. 3 Nov.2010.

QA Fred Smith CEO of the FDX holding company that includes FedEx :: GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

QA Fred Smith CEO of the FDX holding company that includes FedEx Federal Express Corp. started tracking packages electronically well before the commercial Internet emerged. Now, that infrastructure has been firmly plugged into the Internet, letting customers track shipments in real time and even pull reams of shipping data into their internal systems. Meantime, the shipping giant is taking those lessons into new territory. It has launched a consulting practice that helps manufacturers tighten their own supply chains and reduce inventory requirements by more closely tracking the movement of supplies and finished products. Related Story: FedEx Delivers On CEO's IT Vision Additional Transforming Business Strategy Stories Transformation Of The Enterprise Home Page Colleagues and outsiders say it was all part of founder Fred Smith's vision, well before the commercial Internet, that "the information about the package would become as important as the package itself." Smith, now CEO of the FDX holding company that includes FedEx, spoke with editor in chief Robert Preston and managing editor David Joachim at FDX headquarters in Memphis. Excerpts follow: InternetWeek: How hands on are you when it comes to FDX's Internet strategy? Smith: I'm very intimately involved with our strategies as they apply to information and telecommunications. I'm not an expert in them, but I think I have a very good understanding of what they can do and the respective trends under way in those fields. InternetWeek: How vital is CEO involvement in the Internet strategy of a company? Smith: I think it's vital in almost every industry I know of. I mean, I don't know many industries as well as I do my own, but I am constantly amazed at the profundity of IT and the Internet in almost every field and human endeavor, whether it's medicine, farming, the military, or any other thing that I brush up against. It's just all pervasive, it's changing the face of everything. And those that are not involved in it do so at their peril, in my opinion. InternetWeek: What advice do you have to IT executives who recognize their own company as an Internet laggard but have trouble convincing upper management that there will be serious consequences to that? Smith: I guess my advice to them would be to either convince them or get out. They're going to be toast if they don't. Big businesses, particularly big businesses that are involved in lots of different activities, have a very difficult time dealing with qualitative issues and, I guess as Wayne Gretzky would say, skating to where the puck is going to be rather than where it is now.

The Voice of An Old Mans Winter Night :: Old Mans Winter Night

The Voice of "An Old Man's Winter Night" Perhaps the most haunting poem in Mountain Interval is "An Old Man's Winter Night," a poem about an old man dying in the wintry climate of New England and alone. Here, more so than in "The Oven Bird," the comfort of a warmly human subject is held out; no one who ever responded to a Norman Rockwell magazine cover could but be taken by the old man, alone in his house ("All out-of-doors looked darkly in at him"), unable to summon up the resources to hold the winter night at bay: What kept his eyes from giving back the gaze Was the lamp tilted near them in his hand. What kept him from remembering what it was That brought him to that creaking room was age. But if lovers of Rockwell had paused over these lines and tried to read and listen to them, they might well have noted how odd is their disposition. The "sense" of them is that the old man can't see out because the lamp won't permit him to see out -- all he gets back is an image of himself. And if he cannot see out, neither can he see in; he is so old that he can't remember how or why he is where he is. But what, in the prose paraphrase are concerned and sympathetic insights into the plight of old age, sound rather different when experienced through the sing-song, rather telegraphic formulations of the lines. As with "The Oven Bird" there is a heavy use of the verb "to be": "was" occurs three times in four lines, something a novice writer of poetry would try to avoid. And there are also three "whats," two of which occur in a single line ("What kept him from remembering what it was"), designed to make it hard to indulge in sad feelings about old age -- one notices the way that "age" i s quietly buried at the very end of the next line. Apropos of his sister Jeanie, Frost claimed that as he grew older he found it easier to lie awake and worry about other people's troubles. But he is at least as much a critic of such sympathetic identification with others -- lonely old men or oven birds -- as a practitioner of it. Or rather, some of the best poems in Mountain Interval derive their energy from the play of movement toward and withdrawal from the subject contemplated, play such as can be seen in two lines further on which summarize the old man in his setting;

Phoenix Jones Character Analysis Essay

They say with age, comes wisdom. They say a tough life will build tough people. That the world, no matter how terrible it may seem or how bad things get, is only what you make of it. This has never been shown more so by Phoenix Jackson from Eudora Welty’s â€Å"A Worn Path†. Encumbered with age and poverty, Phoenix shows fortitude, cleverness, and a child-like view of the world while traveling to the city for medicine. Welty’s love of literature from her mother, and classic writing style with African American characters (Marrs) is clearly displayed in â€Å"A Warn Path†. Eudora Welty, whose life spanned most of the 20th century, represented the world of the deep American South in multiple genres. In stories, novels, and photography, the Pulitzer Prize winner was especially interested in the relationship of place to character. Her art explores the impact of place on the life of the individual depending on race, gender, and economic status, as well as the reverse influence of the individual character on environment, which is exeptionally displayed in â€Å"A Warn Path† (Marrs). In â€Å"A worn path† an elderly african-american woman, named Pheonix Jones, is up against the world on her way to town. Armed with nothing but her cane, she maneuvers through obstactle after obstacle, showing perseverence in the highest fashion through every disincentive that inhibits her journey. As such, her story depicts the Depression in the United States from the vantage point of a victim insufficiently represented in art—though a victim who, like the mythological phoenix her name evokes, resists annihilation, Phoenix transcends the abuse she experiences. This essay will explore Eudora Welty’s character Phoenix Jones’s most exemplary traits. It will shine light on her fortitude, ingenuity, and light hearted view of the world. Provided along with Phoenix’s traits is examples in which she shows each trait, with direct reference to â€Å"A worn path†. Imagine, having every bone in your body weakened with over seventy plus years of aging. You now have the bones of Phoenix Jones. Weakened, she struggles to get to town. Yet, still she keeps trecking over every obstacle thrown at her. This calls to merit her outstanding fortitude. At one point she encounters a barbed wire fence. With barbs glaring at her, hungry to put a halt to her journey, â€Å"There she had to creep and crawl, spreading her knees and stretching her fingers like a baby trying to climb the steps. But she talked loudly to herself: she could not let her dress be torn now, so late in the day, and she could not pay for having her arm or her leg sawed off if she got caught fast where she was. At last she was safe throught the fence and risen up out of the clearing,† (Welty 850). This is a fine example of her phenominal perseverance and fortitude, showing she was not only going to get through, but she refused to let that fence make even a scratch on her dress. And even before that, at the start of her journey, she already had shown her tremendous amount of determination. As she starts out on her journey she exclaims with a fiery attitude â€Å"Out of my way, all you foxes, owls, beetles, jack rabbits, coons and wild animals! Keep out from under theses feet, little bob whites. Keep the big wild hots out of my path. Don’t let none of those come running my direction. I got a long way† (Welty 849-850). This shows that her mind is already set on getting to town and nothing is stopping her. These fine examples show the true, raw determination and fortitude within Pheonix Jones, showing that she may be frail, but she is anything but weak. There are few things that make true â€Å"good character†. Imagination is one of them. No one has better imagination than a child. A child sees the world as something different†¦ something better. Phoenix Jones clearly holds her inner-child within herself after all these years. After traveling a piece she decides to rest. â€Å"Up above her was a tree in a pearly cloud of mistletoe. She did not dare to close her eyes, and when a little boy brought her a plate with a slice of marble cake on it she spoke to him. â€Å"That would be exceptable,† she said† (Welty 850). Her imagination peeking forth, this shows even through her journey, she imagines a little boy giving her a slice of delicious cake, presenting that everything does not have to be serious. A little piece onward, she shows her enlightening imagination running wild again as she runs up on a menacing scarecrow that she gazes at from a distance. â€Å"Ghost,† she said sharply, â€Å"who you be the ghost of? For I have heard of nary death close by. †Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ She found a coat inside that an emtiness, cold as ice. â€Å"You scarecrow† she said†¦ †Dance, old scare crow† she said, â€Å"while I dancing with you. † She kicked her foot over the furrow, and with mouth drawn down, shook her head once or twice in a little strutting way,† (Welty 851). Her fun loving child-like nature is highlighted through this passage, showing that she took a fear, and enlightened it when she found out it was a scarecrow, dancing with it, showing the trophy of imagination and optimism. Welty shows through Pheonix that imagination will never die, and that it is a precious tool to get over any obstacle. Further down the warn path, Phoenix is greeted by a discourteous hunter helping her up after she fell in a ditch in the wake of a nosy dog coming to investigate this strange intruder. This point is where she shows her cleverness and wit. As she is talking to the hunter, â€Å" Without warning, she had seen with her own eyes a flashing nickel fall out of the man’s pocket onto the ground† (Welty 843), and she said nothing. As it continues the hunter runs off and she wittily bent over in his absence and â€Å"The yellow palm of her hand came out from the fold of her apron. Her fingers slid down and along the ground under the piece of money with the grace and care they would have in lifting an egg from under a setting hen†(Welty 843). As he later lies about having money to spare, this presents her wit, as she gained five cents from this brash traveller who has the audacity to later hold a gun to her head as a joke, which does not intimidate her, and only shows once again the fortitude previously stated in the last paragraph. As she gets to her destination, a clinic that she gets medicine from, she meets an attendant when she first walks in. She came to claim a bottle of medicine through charity for her grandson, which may just be a guise to get free medication, which in itself is a example of clever planning, the example I am using is of her interaction with the attendant. â€Å"It’s Christmas time, Grandma,† said the attendant. â€Å"Could I give you a few pennies out of my purse? † â€Å"Five pennies is a nickel,† said Phoenix stiffly† â€Å"Here’s a nickel,† said the attendant† (Welty 856). She persuades the attendant to give her a nickel, which in total gives her a dime, showing her witty resourcefulness. Whether she uses this ten cent for her grandson a windmill, or something else she wishes to buy, her adept skill and dexterity is presented as she uses wit and expierence to claim these precious boons. Pheonix Jones is a woman of many traits. From her perseverance to her sly inginuity, she uses all her characteristics to get through â€Å"A Warn Path†. She shows her child like perception in a way that eases the burdon of travelling. To the hills and back again seven times fold, her fortitude and will is an object of pure sovereinty over obstacles in her way and in her head. And with just a little bit of quick thinking and bamboozlement she was able to obtain a secondary reward from her journey, a skill that comes in handy throughout her life. Pheonix Jones is a pure, text book definition of strong.