EBay and Siebel Companies Essay Example for Free

EBay and Siebel Companies Essay EBay EBay is an American, online auction and shopping company in which people and businesses buys and sells goods and services worldwide over the internet. It is a well established company with localized websites in several other countries. The website was established in 1995 in San Jose, California by a French born Iranian computer programmer Pierre Omidyar (Patsuris, 2003). Anything can be sold at eBay as long as it is not an illegal. For example appliances, computers, furniture, equipments and vehicles are listed, bought and sold daily. Large international companies such as IBM sell their newest products and other services on eBay using competitive auctions and fixed-priced storefronts. The company has a well structured eBay express site that acts as a standard internet shopping site for consumers who own United States addresses. EBay generates revenue from a number of fees charged on its services based on various factors. Siebel Siebel systems Inc is a software company that deals in the design, development, marketing and support of customer relationship management (CRM) applicants. The company was founded by Thomas Siebel in 1993.  Initially it was known for its sales force automation products. Later, it expanded into the broader customer service applications that included customer relationship management (CRM) (Kerstetter, 2003). The company benefited from the explosive growth of the CRM market in the late 1990’s. By 1999, Siebel systems was the fastest growing company in United States. With growth of electronic commerce, Siebel formed strategic alliances and made several acquisitions to provide e-business solution for CRM and related areas. The two companies have for a long time experienced a massive growth. They have enjoyed prominence in the market since early 1990’s. However they seem to have taken totally different directions. Whereas eBay is still expanding incredibly, Siebel is on the verge of collapse. EBay has indeed developed superbly from its humble beginning. Currently, at least 30 million people buy and sell over 20 billion dollars in merchandise. Over 150, 000 entrepreneurs earn a living selling on eBay. The company provides a new way of doing business. EBay has an exceptional educational system that teaches people on how to sell on its website. It has a payment system that allows buyers to make electronic payments to sellers who can’t afford a merchant credit card account (Hof, 2003). The company has a different way of management in this era. Through the web, eBay citizens have a full time access to every activity performed in the company. The whole system is very transparent. Products and services are subjected to close scrutiny by customers before any business deal is undertaken. (Hof, 2003). The transparency involved in eBay business makes customers and vendors to be collaborators and colleagues. The company has a superb management that can be borrowed by many. It is based on cooperation and finesse not coercion and force. EBay executives work like civil servants rather than corporate managers (Hof, 2003). This enables the company to stay in touch with the needs of customers. This approach offers a lot of benefits to the company. Good management at eBay is shown by its financials. The company profits shot from 176 to 250 million dollars in the year 2002. Net sales from transaction fees on 15 million dollars in gross revenue hit 1. 2 billion dollars (Hof, 2003). This growth has made the company enjoy supremacy in the market. The company has done well to reduce problems of shipping goods, simplifying payments and cracking down crooks on the site. The company always listens to the needs of customers to improve its services. This is done through constant meetings with sellers and buyers asking for their opinions, complains, and suggestion to improve their services (Hof, 2003). As a result users feel part of the company and take necessary initiatives to expand the company’s economy. EBay has a well organized way ensuring security of its business. It has a special police unit that helps to crack down any fraud activities which can turn off prospective customers. It has a Trust and safety department staffed by several EBay employees all over the world (Hof, 2003). As businesses on EBay grow larger, the market is also expanding. As EBay is achieving financial supremacy Siebel takes an opposite route. Although the two companies started almost at the same level, Siebel currently faces a stiff competition from other companies. It has been on the down ward trend in recent years. The giant company of 1990’s has collapsed than its rivals. For example, revenue in 2002 lost by 22% to reach at 1. 5 million dollars. The stock price faced a massive drop by 94% to reach 8. dollars from its peak of 119 dollars in the year 2000 (Kerstetter, 2003). The company has lost touch with customers. Customers are extremely reluctant to buy company products. It has of recent past suffered from bad publicity, as customers show dissatisfaction. It has lost its strong ground to corporate application leader (SAP). The reputation of the company has been lost. In 2002 the company’s share of customer-management market flopped from 29% to 23% (Kerstetter, 2003). The company faces a managerial crisis. The management is continuously shuffled in pursue of the lost glory. Although the company has introduced new technologies, still the sales are growing weaker every year. However the leaders fail to acknowledge that a problem is looming in the company. As software market grows yearly, Siebel systems can no longer dominate it. The competition has grown so strong that Siebel might never recover. Research show that, the company revenue has been falling at an alarming rate. Many corporations that used to deal with the company currently prefer suppliers who offer broad range of integrated products like corporate planning and human resources (Kerstetter, 2003). The company has done little to decrease the growing number of dejected customers who have lost faith in the company. Many complain of having not met their target even after two years. However top managers still do not realize the problem. The company is trying to develop new technologies as a way of bouncing back to the market. However this is a big gamble. The competing companies like SAP have gained a lot of momentum and will still offer stiff challenge (Kerstetter, 2003). Siebel need to undertake major changes to enable it recover. However this is a journey that will need a total overhaul of the administration and a change in strategies. Unless an urgent step is taken, Siebel will collapse totally. The two companies EBay and Siebel differ a lot because of the path they follow. As EBay enjoys an upward surge to economic and financial superiority, Siebel is struggling a lot. The companies also not only differ in their fortunes but also in their administration setup. EBay has put all the necessary administrational techniques to ensure that the company competes favorably in the market. EBay tends to take into consideration the interests of the customers more than Siebel. The company still holds a lot of following from its customers who are increasing all over the world. The company has superb strategies that make them a force in today’s global market. Siebel need to go back to the drawing board if at all they hope to change the turn of events. The two companies offer a lot of lessons to business, management and all financial undertakings. It is evident that managerial skills are very vital in enabling companies to grow (Hof, 2003). Unless an exciting and creative management is in place, business undertakings can never achieve the best. The management ought to be enterprising and ready to undertake constant changes as a way of keeping the companies alive in the ever changing global market. It is also important to take note of the ever changing consumer needs. All business companies should direct their business towards the needs of consumers. Unless consumers have faith in the company, success will always be elusive. Many companies collapse due to failure to acknowledge the need to keep consumers always in mind. Companies should be ready to shift their short term objectives as consumer needs shift. Technology also plays a big role in the business industry. It is an important factor in any business undertaking. Successful companies embrace new and advanced technology to boast their output (Kerstetter, 2003). That is the only way that customers can stick to the company because of superior output. Companies should strive to embrace new technology to enable favorable competition in the market. It is also important for companies to undertake a thorough research always. Research enables them to read the market trends. In that way companies can be able to keep in touch with the latest market trends.  This can also help to shape the production channels according to the market trend. Companies and business enterprises ought to device means and ways of maintaining faith and trust of their customers. There should be a way of keeping customers hooked up to the company and opening it up for many others. Skillful management can enable companies achieve this. All successful businesses always keep these in mind. As long as a company has good management, respect and trust from customers, it will be easy to introduce new products in the market. EBay serves as an example to be followed by all business enterprises.

Fate in Death of a Salesman

Fate in Death of a Salesman Abstract Death of a Salesman is a tragedy written by American playwright Arthur Miller. It describes a story about Willy Loman whose American dreams shattered and eventually he lost his life for it. Willy Lomans tragic experience reveals the conflicts between the individual, the family and social values of the United States. Miller tells us that we should not be misled by the money worship; otherwise we will become victims of commodity wrong values. This paper will analyze the tragic fate of Willy Loman from four different perspectives: inaccurate self-evaluation, incompetent role-player in family, wrong outlooks on values and being a victim of the American Dream, hoping to inspire and enlighten the readers from the tragic fate of Willy Loman and to find our real selves in the complicated and changeable world. 1. Introduction 1.1 Arthur Miller Arthur Miller was one of the most distinguished dramatists of the twentieth century. He was born in Jewish family in New York on October 17th 1915. As his fathers business failed during the Depression and the family suddenly became poor, Miller had to discontinue his studies and go to work to earn his university fees after he finished high school. He worked various jobs, such as a truck driver, a waiter, a farmhand, etc. Through these jobs, he saw the injustice of the capitalist system and understood the hard life of workers. The personal experiences provided him with firsthand knowledge about the lower class when he came to write plays and fiction. Through Millers career, he wrote lots of valuable masterpieces which contributed a lot to the American theater, ranging from All My Sons (1947) to Death of a Salesman (1949), from The Crucible (1953) to A View from Bridge (1955), from After the Fall (1964) to Broken Glasses (1994). Miller continually addressed several distinct but related issues in both his dramatic and contemporary writings: the form of tragedy applicable to modern times and contemporary characters, the individuals relationship to society, and family relations, particularly interactions between fathers and sons (à ©Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ®Ã‚ ¶Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ®, 2007: 421). He criticized the social problems sharply and at the same time showed his compassion to the common people living at the foot of the society ladder. He has influenced many younger American dramatists, such as Edward Albee, August Wilson, and David Mamet. Miller is a major pioneer in the development of American theater alongside Eugene ONeil and Tennessee Williams, and Death of a Salesman is his important work. The play suggested new theatrical possibilities with its unique blend of realism and expressionism, as well as offering a challenge to previous definitions of tragedy (Susan C.W., 2007: 71). 1.2 The plot of Death of a Salesman Death of a Salesman is one of the best three plays with Eugene ONeils Long Days Journey into night and Tennessee Williamss A Street Car Named Desire. After it staged in 1949, it ran for 742 performances on Broadway. It won important awards, including the New York Drama Critics Circle Best Play, Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Award for Best Play. The play presents the tragedy of a common person, Willy Loman, an aging travelling salesman who is working for the Wagner Company. After having labored for thirty-four years for that firm, he is fired by Howard Wagner, the head of the company, because he is too old to sell products to make profits for the company. But he is still in debt, so he and his wife are struggling to pay the bills while his two sons are not helpful. Willys two goals throughout his life have been to be popular and have his own company, but they havent come true. Biff, a habitual thief, and Happy, a self-deluded guy, have failed to fulfill their fathers dream of achi evement. Reviewing his life, he is forced to confront its futility and failure. He kills himself in a planned car accident, hoping to provide Biff with twenty thousand dollars from the life insurance company to start his store. The play has profound social significance, because it is from the real life and authentically reflects the tragedy of common man in America (à ¥Ã‚ Ã¢â‚¬ ¢Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ »Ã‚ £Ãƒ §Ã‚ Ã‚ Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’2008). 1.3 Purpose of the paper Willy Lomans tragic experience shows the conflicts between the individual, the family and social values of the United States. Miller tells us that we should not be misled by the money worship; otherwise we will become victims of commodity wrong values. In materialistic society, People tend to ignore the cruel reality. Their cravings for material things seem never satisfied. People cannot distinguish reality and illusion. Inevitably, this will causes contradictions between individual, family and society and eventually brings about peoples downfall, like Willy Loman in the play. According to this phenomenon, this paper will analyze the tragic fate of Willy Loman from four different perspectives: inaccurate self-evaluation, incompetent role-player in family, wrong outlooks on values and being a victim of the American Dream, hoping to inspire and enlighten the readers from the tragic fate of Willy Loman and to find our real selves in the complicated and changeable world. 2. Literature Review Death of a Salesman is written in realistic dialogue about ordinary people. It is based in large part on the experiences of Millers family during the Depression and his passionate belief in the honor of work and the difficulties of living the American dream. After its opening in Broadway, response to the play was tremendous; audiences and critics had been attracted. The criticism on Death of a Salesman came from the anti-communist movement known as McCarthyism,but the larger part of comments are praises. Robert Coleman of the Daily Mirror called the play emotional dynamite and reported that sobs were heard throughout the auditorium, and handkerchiefs were kept busy wiping away tears (Robert Coleman, 1949:360). Brooks Atkinson declared it superb, commenting on its poetry and calling it a wraith-like tragedy (Brooks Atkinson, 1949:27). Richard Watts asserted that under the director, Elia Kazens vigorous and perceptive direction, Death of a Salesman emerges as easily the best and most i mportant new American play of the year (Richard Watts, 1949:359). Yes, Death of a Salesman is a significant masterpiece of the American play. In theme, the play criticizes the role of capitalism in American society and condemns human nature with pity and sorrow. In technique, Miller broke out of the realistic confinements of time, space and psychology, with the innovative interweaving of the past with the present and of events inside Willys mind with those outside, which merges elements of both realism and expressionism(à ©Ã‚ »Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ãƒ ¥Ã‚ ®Ã‚ ¶Ãƒ ¤Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ®Ãƒ ¯Ã‚ ¼Ã…’2007:423). Compared to traditional tragedy, Loman, as a protagonist, is neither upper class nor very intelligence. But he still manages to strike an emotional chord. He has a faulty vision of what makes a person successful, which makes him flawed, but regardless of the opposition and the ultimate cost to himself, he refuses to give up that vision, which makes him, in Millers eyes, a tragic hero. A man of his time, Loman bears realistic and far-reaching significance and connotation. In Contemporary American drama:a study in the plays of Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller and Edward A, Singh Abha comments that Willy Loman, the salesman, is a typical embodiment of modern business morality, but he is also a more universal figureà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Like the great tragic figures of Sophocles and Shakespeare, Millers Willy is both an individual and a type (Singh, Abha, 1998: 70-71). Furthermore, Loman has attracted international audiences and continues to interest them to the present day. Theater scholar Brenda Murphy talks about the ease with which audiences all over the world have understood and sympathized with the plight of Willy Loman, and have grasped the issues of the play (Brenda Murphy, 1995:126). No doubt, the play attracts numerous audiences and critics. Whereas, the common audience are seriously concerned about the fate of Willy and are melt into tears for this tragedy of an everyman. In china, based on my survey on the domestic journals from 1979 to 2009, there are above 22 articles studying on Willy Lomans tragic fate in Death of a Salesman. Different critics have their own views. Wang Yan, from Shandong University, considers that Lomans tragedy is caused by the conflict of his dream and the reality. Zhu Yaning, from Foreign Languages Department of Henan Mechanical College, views that the disillusionment of American Dream leads to Lomans tragedy. W ang Dongmei, from Foreign Languages Department of Liaoning Technical University, regards that Lomans fate is caused by his own personality distortion. Wang Hong, from Huainan Normal College analyzes Willy Lomans fate from the respect of family factors. But for me, inaccurate self-evaluation, incompetent role-player in family, wrong outlooks on values and being a victim of the American Dream resulted in Willy Lomans tragedy. 3. Analysis of Willy Lomans Fate Willy Lomans whole life seems to have been a sellout; his sons have turned out badly, and his relationship with Biff has soured. Disappointedly, Willy chooses to end his life with expectation that his death could exchange for his sons success. The quasi-resolution that his suicide offers him represents only a partial discovery of the truth. He fails to grasp the true personal, emotional, spiritual understanding of himself. His name provides insights. Compared to William, Willy is a childish version indicating an intrinsic immaturity in his nature. He is too driven by his own willy-ness or perverse willfulness to recognize the slanted reality that his desperate mind has forged. Loman has been read as indicating Willy to be a low-man, common and insignificant. From the insights of his name, we can infer that Willy Lomans life will be a tragedy in the end, like characters of Dream of the Red Chamber. Not his name resulted in Willys tragedy fate, but his inaccurate self-evaluation, incom petent role-player in family, wrong outlooks on values and a victim of the American Dream resulted in his tragedy. 3.1 Willy Lomans inaccurate self-evaluation As a travelling salesman, Willy Loman sells products for Wagner Company by driving around New England. When he was young, he was ambitious and set his mind to provide a good life for his family. He worked diligently and enthusiastically, so that he made good profits. He averaged a hundred and seventy dollars a week in the year of 1928. He built up good relationship and reputation among his clients. He has much confidence about his life and dreamed that one day he would set up his own company. However, thirty-four years later, as he became too old to make profits for the firm, he was fired by his employer relentlessly, regardless of his thirty-four years contribution to the company. But he could not confirm his failure. When he would not sell products and get his commission, he borrowed money from his neighbor Charley and deceived his wife that the money was his commission. He trapped himself in the illusion and memory most his time. Under the pressing realities of his life, he could not endure the overwhelming tensions and commit suicide to earn the insurance money to help Biff become successful. Why Willy Loman lived so afflictingly? One of the reasons is that he can not evaluate himself accurately. Throughout the play, there are many implications that Willys wrong self-evaluation leads to his wrong choice of profession. He failed to find his real self, because he was covered by the illusions and the myths. From ACT ONE, Willy told Charley that, A man who cant handle tools is not a man (Arthur Miller, 1949:44). He can put up the ceiling in the living-room. That is a great piece of work, but Willy managed to do it. He, like his father, can build things with his own hand. However, Willy failed to recognize his abilities. If he could realize his talent and choose the job that can fulfill his talent, instead of being a salesman that way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine (Arthur Miller, 1949:138), Willy might seek both job satisfaction and fortune from his job. Also, he failed to recognize his natural inclinations and instincts. When Biffs decision to seek a business loan raises Willys spirits, and the way in which Willy expresses his optimism is quite revealin g. The first thing Willy thinks about is planting a garden in his yard; he then muses to Linda that they should buy a house in the country, so that he could build guesthouses for Biff and Happy when they have families of their own. These hopeful plans seem to illustrate how ill-suited Willy is to his profession, as it stifles his natural inclinations. His wistful fantasy of living in the forests of Alaska strengthens the implication that he chose the wrong profession. Indeed, the competitive, hyper-capitalist world of sales seems no more appropriate for Willy. He does not seem to like living in an urban setting. He complains that the way they boxed us in here. Bricks and windows, windows and bricks. The street is lined with cars. Theres not a breath of fresh air in the neighborhood. The grass dont grow any more, you cant raise a carrot in the back yard. They shouldve a law against apartment houses (Arthur Miller, 1949:17). From his words, we can infer that Willy is looking forward to living a leisure life, a farm life, not the busy, atwitter and strenuous life in New York. But Willy was unaware of this; he chose to be a salesman that conflicts with his natural inclinations and instincts. At first, his motivation to be a salesman was impure. He chose the job not from his own abilities and interests, but from the admiration for Dave Singleman. If Willy could evaluate himself accurately and respect his own needs, he would live a totally different life from now. He would not commit himself to a pathetic death and meaningless legacy. 3.2 Incompetent Role-player in family Willy is a salesman who struggles for a better life in the cruel society, a husband who has his wifes love and support and a father who lives with his children. It is important to examine the evolution of Willys relationship with his family, as the solid family is one of the most prominent elements of the American Dream. But in the present, Willys relationship with his family is fraught with tension. 3.2.1 A father unfit for his position As a common father, he hopes to win the respect and love of his sons and has great expectation to his two sons. But the cruel reality is that Biff is a pilferer and Happy is a liar. Everything goes against his wishes. The main reason is that Willys improper education to his sons. As a youth, Biff was led to believe that since he was well liked he could get away with anything. He begins to steal: a football from school, lumber for the house, a crate of balls from Bill Oliver. Willy is desperate that Biff should succeed in life, so instead of punishing him, he condones the thefts and makes excuses, neglecting to instill in his son the moral values a parent should teach a child. For instance, when the young Biff stole the football from the school, Willy said, Coachll probably congratulate you on your initiative! à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Thats because he likes you. If somebody else took that ball thered be an uproar (Arthur Miller, 1949:30). This way of education makes Biff lose the ability to recognize the correct moral views. Biff appears successful in high school as a football player, but reaps no benefit from this as he never goes to college. Initially he had planned to retake the math course he needed, but he catches his father with a mistress. After leaving the high school, he did many jobs but all failed. As biff said to Willy, I never got anywhere because you blew me so full of hot air I could never stand taking orders from anybody! Thats whose fault it is! (Arthur Miller, 1949:131) Obviously, again it is Willys improper education that leads to Biffs failure. 3.2.2 A husband disloyal to his wife In Willys reminiscence, there exists a woman, his mistress. Willy has affair with the woman and the affair was discovered by Biff. As a result of this, his belief in the fantasies his father has fed him cannot be maintained. This adultery is an indirect cause that Biff gave up to retake he math course, but evidence that Willy betrayed his wife, Linda. If Willy had had not affair with the woman, Biff might retake the math exam, and then he would go to college and had a promising future. Willy is always untrue to Linda. He tries to play the salesman with her. Every time he over his trip, he inflates his commission, but Linda also his lie. Although she does not buy his pitch to her, she still loves him. She does not measure Willys worth in terms of his professional success. Willy, however, needs more than love, which accepts character flaws, doubts, and insecurityhe seek desperately to be well liked. As such, he ignores the opportunity that Linda presents to him: to view himself more honestly, to acknowledge the reality of his life, and to accept himself for what he is feeling like a failure (Selena Ward, Brendan Greaves, 2003:61). If Willy could be true to Linda and himself, he would not choose to commit suicide. 3.3 Wrong outlooks on values Willy Loman is living in a time when the nature of business itself is undergoing intrinsic changes, partly due to the capitalist pressure to make more money and become more efficient. But he fails to understand the complex and ruthless business community and he still pursue equity and justifiability blindly. So he hugs his outmoded beliefs: Just work hard, be honest and well-liked, you will succeed. However, he is rebuffed in the real life. The reason is that Willys outlooks on values are wrong. His recurring description and memory of Dave Singleman manifest his ideal life in his mind: What could be more satisfying than be able to go, at the age of eighty-four, into twenty or thirty different cities, and pick up a phone, and be remembered and loved and helped by so many different people? and When he diedand by the way he died the death of a salesman, in his green velvet slippers in the smoker of the New York, New Haven and Hartford, going into BostonWhen he died hundreds of salesmen and buyers were at his funeral. Things were sad on a lotta trains for months after that. (Arthur Miller, 1949:81) He speakes of Dave Singleman as a legend and imagines that his death must have been beautifully noble. But he fails to realize the hopeless of Singlemans lonely, on-the-job, on-the-road death. During Singlemans age, there was personality, respect, comradeship and gratitude in it. But in the present day, it is all cut and dried. The time full of light and friendship is long gone. Todays American society has been a concrete jungle. Here the survival law is like the law of the jungle in the animal world in primitive time, even more relentless and ruthless. People are molded to be more indifferent and greedy. They worship money. Money dominatesalmost everything including personality, respect, gratitude and even man, could be evaluated in terms of money. But Willy doesnt realize the shift of the times and values. He still keeps riding on a smile, making friends, exaggerating and hoping being liked so as to make a sale. He adheres to his own principles and wrong values that cost his life i n the end. 3.4 A victim of the American Dream The American Dream is a national ethos of the United States of America in which democratic ideals are perceived as a promise of prosperity for its people. In the American Dream, first expressed by James Truslow Adams in 1931, he states, The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement. It is a difficult dream for the European upper classes to interpret adequately, and too many of us ourselves have grown weary and mistrustful of it. It is not a dream of motor cars and high wages merely, but a dream of social order in which each man and each woman shall be able to attain to the fullest stature of which they are innately capable, and be recognized by others for what they are, regardless of the fortuitous circumstances of birth or position (James Truslow Adams, 1931) The idea of the American Dream is rooted in the second sentence of the Declaration of Independence wh ich states that all men are created equal and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights including Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. (the Declaration of Independence) However, the industrialization of the 19th and 20th centuries began to erode the dream. After World War II, the United States faced profound and irreconcilable domestic tensions and contradictions. Although the war had ostensibly engendered an unprecedented sense of American confidence, and security, the United States became increasingly embroiled in a tense cold war with the Soviet Union. The propagation of myths of a peaceful, homogenous, and nauseatingly gleeful American golden age was tempered by constant anxiety about Communism. (Selena Ward, Brendan Greaves, 2003:3)The government cannot provide the citizen with a fair environment. People feel desperate and lose themselves. They consider their American dream as making a fortune. They pursuit their dreams by centering their lives around material possessions, such as cars, appliances. There are exhausted to keep up with their equally materialistic neighbors. Seemingly, they are rich in materials, but they are in poor spirit. Many American families become the victims of the American Dream. Unfortunately, the Lomans is one of them. In the search of the good life, the Lomans surroud themselves with many things above and beyond the necessities of life. However, these goods are only available at a price, and not everyone in society can afford them. The Lomans try to keep up, with a refrigerator, a vacuum, and a new car, but they find themselves in a constant state of worry that they may be not able to meet all the payments. So when Willy is sixty-three years old, he is still in debt. In Willys life, he has two dreams. One is to set up his own company while the other is his two sons can succeed. But Willys two great dreams come to a totally failure. Because he believes that any well liked and personally attractive man can achieve the dream. And he also passes this belief to his sons. Bernard can get the best marks in school, y understand, but when he gets out in the business world, yunderstand, you are going to be five times ahead of him. Thats why I thank Almighty God youre both built like Adonises. Because the man who makes an personal in the business world, the man who creates personal interest, is the man who gets ahead. Be liked and you will never want. (Arthur Miller, 1949:33) His understanding of the qualities of attractiveness and likeability is very superficial. He blindly expects to achieve material, emotional, and even spiritual satisfaction through personal attractiveness and being well liked. He fails to see that Charley and his son are successful because of lifelong hard work and not because of the illusions of social popularity and physical appearances. His blind faith in his stunted version of the American Dream leads to his rapid psychological decline when he is unable to accept the disparity between the ideal dream and his own life. 4. Enlightenment from Willy Lomans fate From the previous analysis, we have a better understanding of Willy Lomans fate. We cannot help showing our sympathy for his downfall. But this tragedy leaves us not only the sigh, but also the deep meditation. We can gain a good deal of enlightenment from his fate. Firstly, we should have a round and accurate evaluation about ourselves. Everyone is unique in the world. We have both merits and demerits. If we can make best use of the advantages and bypass the disadvantages, then we will become more competent and more confidence to deal with the changeable and competitive society. Secondly, our dreams should not go too far away from the reality. It is good to have dreams. Dreams can motive us to work hard to live a better life. In this way, the society can make progress. But our dreams should base on reality. It should be practical to realize the dreams. If the dreams seem impossible to realize, we may feel disappointed and lose confidence when we find the disparity between the dream and our life. Thirdly, we should make a plan that fit ourselves to realize the dream. We should see through the key to success. We should not like Willy Loman think it is well liked. But we can learn from Charley that the key to success is hard work and maintain our morality intact. Fourthly, spiritual wealth is more important than material wealth. In the modern society, material civilization is highly developed while there exists a crisis of mental world of human beings. Money worship and hedonism are prevailing, the view of value is collapsing, and men tend to become the slaver of material desire. So we cannot ignore our spiritual world. In our spare time, we should enrich our spirit world by reading books of real worth and live a worthy life. 5. Conclusion In Death of a salesman, Miller charges America with selling a false myth constructed around a capitalist materialism. And this materialism obscured the personal truth and moral vision of original American Dream described by the countrys founders. Willy Lomans inaccurate self-evaluation, incompetent role-player in family, wrong outlooks on values and being a victim of the American Dream bring about his downfall. His fate reveals the contradiction between material and spirit, reality and dream. Thus it makes the play become one of the best modern tragedies.

FedEx: Porters 5 Analysis

FedEx: Porters 5 Analysis External environment analysis refers to analysis of events, factors, and entities that surround an organization. These elements tend to influence an organization operation, its opportunities and risks. In business when we talk about external environment analysis of an organization, we essentially concentrate on conditions to which such an institution operates. This relates to both social, political/legal, economic, competition, and technological environment. This paper therefore gives external environment analysis of FedEx, a transportation company found in the air delivery and freight services industry. Introduction Federal Express (FedEx) is a delivery company found in the logistic industry. Frederick W. Smith established the company, in the year 1971 and it chiefly specializes in delivery of documents and freight across many cities in the world. The company employs more than 200000 employees globally, and operates under four main categories namely, FedEx Services, FedEx Freight, FedEx Express, and FedEx Ground (FedEx.com). Identification of the industry FEDEX can be categorized in the transport industry, and its main domestic competitors are United Parcel Service (UPS), and the United States Postal Service. In addition to competition at home, the company competes globally with well-established companies such as Deutsche Post (DHL), FCML Couriers, LDH Express, Royal Mail, and other private and public regional carriers. The company has a global presence, but USA and Europe is its largest market (Devan, 2010). Porters five forces model FedEx Corporation Suppliers Power LOW- Products supplied to the industry Threat of Entry LOW- High start up costs Threat of Substitutes LOW -Limited services for large freight and air freight Buyers Power LOW MEDIUM-Shipping choices Large Buyers Existing Rivals HIGH- FeDEX, UPS, USPS, DHL Source: Datamonitor (2009). FedEx, Inc.: company profiles. Retrieved from Lexis Nexis database. External Environment Analysis As mentioned earlier, FedEx is found in the logistic industry that is determined by Porters five forces model, which includes- Intensity of Rivalry Regardless of few competitors, logistic industry still remain a competitive sector due to large numbers of consumers, low cost of changing providers and poor demarcation among competitors. According to Parnell (2009), various type of information is required to evaluate this porters force. This rivalry is measured by elements such as industry concentration that measures the percentage market share of its rival competitors such DHL, United Parcel Service (UPS), and the United States Postal Service. The CR ratio of FedEx is moderate and this is attributed by progressive EPS and P/E ratio that tend to combat this discrepancy. In pursuing a competitive advantage over its rivals, FedEx continuously lowers prices to gain temporal advantage over its rivals .The company also employs strategic alternatives which include the concept of increasing size and sales using tactical alliances and internal growth models .FedEx also maintain a competitive edge by focusing on specific five core strategies that make it grow a company. These strategies include growing core business packages, growing e-commerce networks, growing competent new products and alliances, growing internationally, and growing capable supply networks (FedEx.com). The only disadvantage of this material is that its labor intensive, and at times there is no readily available data on resources required for each type of service. In conclusion, we can say the source is very credible. Threat of Substitutes In contrast to other sectors, the threat for substitutes in logistic industry is very low because of low number of alternatives .This is attributed to availability of few companies offering air delivery services. From the article, FedEx maintain this force by establishing high level of universal marketing objective that is aimed at producing high quality products that are trustworthy across all end users. The company focus on threat of substitute revolves around a marketing technique that concentrates on specific customer need. Generally this article is very conclusive has it spells out the strategies undertaken by the company to beat rival substitutes. Threat of New Entrants This industry is credited to have minimal threat of new entrants due to the high costs involved. This includes high cost of operations, and capital equipments. When appraised with Porters Generic Strategies, FedEx and its rivals uses a focused-low cost approach that makes entrance of new competitors very difficult. According to the FedEx Corporation Company, profile (2009). For any company to remain functional in the industry, it must consider the economic environment especially GDP. This material is very pertinent and useful to other players in that it provides interventions that can be used by other companies to reduce risks of new rivals entering the market. Bargaining Power of Suppliers unlike beverage industry, logistic industry tends to have low bargaining power because they provide their product in bulk. Most of the products are tentatively available from other market leaders hence this tends to eliminate bargaining power. FedEx tends to have low bargaining power of suppliers because most of their products are also standardized and due to availability of backward integration. Sources used here include the company website and Beijing Review, 49(34), 36-37.As the two sources assess the idea; it emanates that suppliers uniqueness can be a great indicator of the nature of interventions necessary for the successful implementation of stable suppliers bargaining. Bargaining Power of Buyers just like bargaining power of suppliers, the bargaining power of buyers is also low but at times, it fluctuates. Customers have the sole discretion to choose their providers according to their taste and needs, though they do not have rights to negotiate prices. According to, http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/porter.html,the bargaining power of buyers is very concrete on making a particular industry successful. Many of buyers of FedEx have low bargaining power because most of them are fragmented in different areas hence they have no particular influence on the product and its price (Devan, 2010). Conclusion and Future Prospects for the Company As days go by and the company proceeds into the future, management of the company must be vigilant if they want to remain competitive in the market. Just like any company in the industry, FedExs major risk includes increased global fuel prices, erratic economic and political conditions in their target markets, and client retention. In order to emerge the winner, FedEx must adopt strategies that will give them a chance to remain in the market.

Cold War Essay -- essays research papers

The Cold War, 1949-1963 25.1 American Commitment to Cold War: National Security Council Document 68 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How NSC-68 influenced America’s response to Communist North Korea’s invasion of South Korea in June 1950 and to Communist expansion in Southeast Asia in the 1960s. The NSC-68 called for military assistance programs that would meet the requirements of our allies. Since South Korea was an ally, we assisted them in repelling the invasion of another communist nation. This help for South Korea meant that a communist nation would be weakened and therefore possibly cripple a potential ally for the Soviet Union. Also, South Korea would then respond to a call for aid if the Soviet Union ever attacked America. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The implications of NSC-68 for military spending by the United States and its allies. The NSC-68 stated that â€Å"budgetary considerations will need to be subordinated to the stark fact that our very independence as a nation may be at stake.† This meant that no matter how much it cost to build up our military, it would be done in order to protect our nation. Also, the rebuilding of European economies and defenses in order to try and contain Russian expansion without armed conflict, lead to the help of European powers having to return the favor of having their economies rebuilt with helping the United States in the Cold War. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The implications of the call for â€Å"covert actions† in NSC-68. Covert actions in the NSC-68 implies that the United States was not ready for another war so soon after World War II. Also, the Soviet Union had developed atomic weapons, which meant that the Soviet Union could cause mass destruction in the United States. However, America was unwilling to allow the communist nation of the Soviet Union to expand and gain enough power to crush the United States. So the government decided to use covert operations which would hurt their economy and cause unrest in the Soviet Union. 25.2 American Public Opinion and the Korean War, 1950-1952 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What these responses reveal about attitudes toward American involvement in the Korean War. At the beginning, American opinion supported the war in Korea. However, as time went on, the American opinion changed because we no longer had a clear chance of winning the war. People then c... ...tution given rights were ignored as well. The Red Scare was therefore similar to McCarthyism in the 1950s because it was a movement against communism that many people had. The Smith Act was passed which prevented the teaching of overthrowing the government and forced all foreign residents over the age of 14 to register their occupation and political beliefs. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  How successful were United States responses to the Soviet Union in the 1950s? Were there alternatives to these responses? Eisenhower did a brilliant job in his responses to the Soviet Union in the 1950s. He kept the Soviet Union from expanding by rebuilding the economies of the war struck countries in Europe. Had technology developed that would allow the United States to spy on other countries armaments and military actions without exposing ourselves to any risk. Entered nine treaties that would make attacking the United States bring down a multitude of other countries attacks. Eisenhower also developed a large amount of nuclear devices that would allow the United States to respond to any attack with powerful force. Eisenhower could not have developed a better strategy to hold back the Russians.

Chapter 25 of The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck Essay -- Grapes Wr

Chapter 25 of The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck In the twenty-fifth chapter of his novel The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck presents the reader with a series of vivid images, accompanied by a series of powerful indictments. Steinbeck effectively uses both the potent imagery and clear statements of what he perceives as fact to convey his message. This short chapter offers a succinct portrayal of one of the major themes of the larger work. Namely, the potential bounty of nature corrupted and left to rot by a profit-driven system, a system that ultimately fails. Steinbeck begins the chapter with the simple statement, "The spring is beautiful in California" (p. 346). The proceeding explanation of California’s springtime beauty evokes images of Eden and Paradise. Steinbeck describes the full green hills, fragrant valleys of fruit blossoms, the swelling tendrils of grapes, and mile-long rows of lettuce, cauliflower, and artichoke. The fertility of the land is explicitly conveyed by the sentence, "The full green hills are round and soft as breasts" (p. 346). "Round and soft" breasts bring to mind both the voluptuous figure of a fertility goddess, and the comfort and safety of a mother’s embrace. The images that Steinbeck puts down here portray California as an abundant Eden. Capable of providing for all of her children, just as a mother would. California’s bounty is graphically depicted when Steinbeck says, "The fruit grows heavy, and the limbs bend gradually under the fruit so that little crutches must be placed under them to support the weight" (p. 346). Imagine a hungry man reading those lines! Fruit so large and full that the branches bend and must be supported by crutches. It is as though Steinbeck has just describe... ...he yield of the harvest. Yet there is a failure that Steinbeck perceives. He sees the hungry and starving people. How is it that despite the achievements of the best and brightest of humanity there still exist starving children? The answer that Steinbeck implies in the course of the chapter is that it is the system that is to blame. Any system of commerce that utilizes the best of human knowledge and pools the resources of humanity in its drive to make a profit, but is unable to prevent a child from starving to death, is a failure. It is a great and despicable failure in Steinbeck’s eyes. "There is a sorrow here that weeping cannot symbolize" (p. 349). Works Cited Ovid, Metamorphoses. ("The Ages of the World.") SRP 435 class handout. Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin/ Viking Critical Library, 1997. Tantalus. SRP 435 class handout.

Debate Against School Uniforms Essay

Have you ever played Wheres Waldo? By issuing students school uniforms, finding a problem child would be a lot like playing that game in a real life situation. Just like any other argument you will have your pros and cons of the idea, but in my opinion and many others, the cons highly outweigh the pros of wearing school uniforms. Many intelligent individuals will lose their motivation to excel and be prevalent because they are used to being ordinary like everyone else. School uniforms shout conformity in many ways and to me that isnt the way to get your students to prevail in the classrooms. Individuality is a huge factor for school age children and their chance to grow among their peers. School uniforms will do nothing but cut down on a students individuality. A uniform is not the way to cut down on school violence. The only thing that will cut down on school violence is if parents would pay attention to their children and keep their children out of trouble and give them consequences when they disobey and not to let them run wild. Uniforms cause regularity. We need free thinking children to become the thinkers of tomorrow, not drones who will continue making the mistakes of previous generations. When we argue against school uniforms we argue against an education system that seeks to produce workers and for an education system that seeks to produce open-minded all-around human beings. One major argument of school uniforms is that they will save money for less fortunate families. This statement can also be battled very easily. There are just as many experts who believe that the cost of school uniforms is a negative factor as those who see it as a positive factor. Some experts believe that it increases the amount of clothing parents will have to buy for their children because the children will still want and need clothing for the hours they are not in school. Uniforms can be more expensive for a family who buys from second-hand stores or who relies on hand-me-down clothing from friends and family. Some experts believe cost is a negative aspect of school uniforms because there is no use for them outside of school. Ultimately school uniforms will likely cost equal to higher amounts of money than buying regular clothing for a child. Everyone wants to be comfortable in what they are wearing and school uniforms limit that option significantly. Many people say that different types of clothing feel comfortable to different people. Some children are more comfortable in a specific material or style of clothing. Uniforms reduce ones ability to choose clothing that fits individual comfort needs. Experts believe that children need to feel comfortable in order to maximize learning, and that uniforms can therefore prevent academic success. Another problem would be if the school was required to wear ties. Wearing a tie would put an enormous damper on childrens ability to pay attention. Most students would spend a majority of their time situating and loosening their tie to the desired fitting. The sad part is that by the time it feels comfortable it is against the dress code and they find themselves in trouble. Identification is one of the biggest factors ruled in against school uniforms. Many people state that you could easily site outsiders of the school, and it would also eliminate gang colors. If you have a school full of children with the same clothing on you would find it nearly impossible to identify a child who was causing trouble. One example is if someone caught a glimpse of a child stealing and then tried to give a description. The description would most likely fit a majority of the students in the school. As for eliminating gang colors, there are better ways to take care of that. If you can tell a gang by its colors and the ones affiliated with it, why not send the gang member to a school away from the other children. Any group that will endanger the life of the other students doesnt deserve to learn with them. Instead of taking away their ability to recognize each other by colors they should be sent off to boot camp or somewhere alike. In conclusion school uniforms can easily be avoided by making the right judgments and by working harder to keep our children away from conformity. Each factor for uniforms can also be backed by an even better reason not to put them in action. Our countrys children need to be able to form an individual personality and ability to learn and progress through adolescents. Each area of discussion shows that children would fair more successful without the statement of a school uniform in hand. Works Cited :1)http://www.daytondailynews.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/dayton/education/entries/2006/07/29/the_case_agains_1.html2)http://www.communityonline.com/local/educational/schools/uniforms/uniforms.htm3)http://www.geocities.com/school_uniforms/abstract98.html

Discuss of the Significance and Recent Trends in Operations Management

Operations management is an area of business concerned with the production of goods and services, and involves the responsibility of ensuring that business operations are efficient in terms of using as little resource as needed, and effective in terms of meeting customer requirements. It is concerned with managing the process that converts inputs (in the forms of materials, labor and energy) into outputs (in the form of goods and services).Significance and recent trends in operations managementOperations traditionally refers to the production of goods and services separately,although the distinction between these two main types of operations is increasingly difficult to make as manufacturers tend to merge product and service offerings. More generally, Operations Management aims to increase the content of value-added activities in any given process.Fundamentally, these value-adding creative activities should be aligned with market opportunity (see Marketing) for optimal enterprise per formance to be able produce professional managers capable of fulfilling strategic roles within business and government enterprises the need for the practice of operations management cannot be forgone. Operations management is very important in business operations since it forms the heart of the organisation by controlling the system of operation. Operations management deals with the design, operation, and improvement of the systems that create and deliver a firm’s primary products and services.Like marketing and finance, operations management is a functional field of business with clear management responsibilities. Guinness Ghana limited is a company in which produces alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages such as Guinness and Malta Guinness respectively.The effect of the global economic crisis has been profound on the UK business sector. As a result, a new generation of entrepreneurs and business owners looks set to emerge – and many individuals who found themselves lea ving college within the last decade will soon be seen to embark on careers which demand a significant degree of managerial skill.Subsequently, operations management has developed as a specialist subject of study on many management courses – but how does it differ from  other more well-known aspects of business such as sales management and project management? And what is its importance to business today?In the simplest terms, operations management is different because its primary concern is usually the efficiency of the production or delivery of goods or services within a company. Consequently, an operations manager will typically need to manage the amount of resources – for example, materials or labor – needed for the desired output.In more depth, those eager to study operations management on any one of many management courses in the UK and US will quickly learn of the diversity of, and complexities within, the field.The focus on such modules will usually cove r:facilities – including the planning and management of their location, analyses of production methods in order to ensure output is achieved with as little resource as possible, as well as issues with quality control and the risk of error.The importance of operations management today is therefore quite easy to see,even if not necessarily in reference to the subject as an entire job description, but instead referring to the skills useful to anyone in a managerial position.Indeed, with the growth of smaller companies – especially within the digital and media sectors -the latter is more significant.Increasingly, the trend among 21st Century industries is to offer both product sand services, such as specialist programmes and tools alongside consultancy, in an effort for businesses to differentiate themselves and to offer more to prospective clients. Those with operations management skills will therefore be more prepared for differentiation between planning, control and del ivery of either products or services.Recent Trends In operations managementGlobal Competition Operations Strategy Flexibility Cycle Time Reduction Business Process Re-engineering Supply Chain Management Workers Involvement TQM Lean ManufacturingRe-engineering etc. Organizations must improve their products as well as productivity to retain their market share. The long-term success of an organization requires investments in technology because new technologies can improve efficiency and productivity. In this chapter, we discussed how organizations can benefit from automation. Some of the recent technological developments in the field of operations management, which include computer-aided design (CAD), direct and indirect computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), flexible manufacturing system (FMS), and computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) were discussed in the chapter.Computer Aided Design (CAD) is used for designing products and processes on a computer terminal. Computer systems assist i n the creation, modification, analysis and optimization of a design. In Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM), computers are used either directly to control the processing equipment, or indirectly to support manufacturing operations. Automated machines usually perform a variety of operations, depending on the instructions received from the computer with respect to the sequence and operational specifications of a process.FMS is a form of flexible automation in which several machine tools are linked to the materials-handling system. A central  computer controls all aspects of the system. CIM refers to a computer application that connects various computerized systems into a single multi-functional system. Another development in the field of technology is artificial intelligence (AI). AI enables computers to exhibit some of the characteristics of human intelligence, like the capacity for learning, understanding language,reasoning and problem solving.EDI is a system, wherein standardized forms of electronic documents are transferred between two computer systems. Customers and suppliers or departments within the same organization can share and transmit information electronically in real time using EDI