Iago, the Outsider of Shakespeare’s Othello Essay -- essays research

In any story with a recurring dark theme there always must be an outsider from humanity who somehow stands out from the seemingly equal community. In the case of Shakespeare’s Othello the outsider from humanity would be Iago for he truly stands out from the rest of society. Although Othello may be physically put out of the community, it seems that on an emotional and egotistical level Iago puts himself out of society further then Othello’s blackness does. He is not merely manipulative, as other villains are; he turns aspects of truth and good qualities, which he does not possess, and uses them as weakness for his own scheme. He deceives people to follow his plans by telling them the truth and what seems to be good advice. By standing on the side and watching people he seems to learn more about them then they even know themselves. He seems to envy these people and the relationships that they possess, becuase he will never know what these connections feel like. He uses p eople’s strengths as their weaknesses to bring them to their doom. He causes much destruction and is driven by a force that the reader cannot even understand. Iago makes himself an outsider by not realizing that his ego causes him to hate and disrespect all of humanity. Iago respects no one and yet is cunning enough to make people continue to trust and respect him. This is a truly super human quality in Iago that allows him to manipulate people to do what he wants without them knowing. He is married to Emilia, and although the reader would see marriage as a sacred bond, Iago manipulates it for his selfish ways. It may be his careless marriage that causes him to feel that he must destroy Desdemona’s and Othello’s. This would show his childish, jealous mentality towards others. The reason he treats Emilia so badly may be that he blames her for their dysfunctional marriage. From this, she has gained a perhaps not so tainted image of men and husbandry. She describes men â€Å"are all but stomachs, and we all but food; they eat us hungerly, and when they are full, they belch us.† (III, iv, 98-100) Iago treats Emilia as if she were a slave at his every whim and she knows it but for some reason Iago has tricked her into thinking thatâ €™s the way life is in marriage; so although Emilia may seem like the more experienced character in the play she herself cannot even see the corruptness in Iago’s ways. Ano... ... His plan stays secretive throughout the entire play. It leaves the characters in the play as well as the reader with an eerie brooding feeling at the end. The only reason that comes to mind is his jealousy of the nobility that the other characters possess. It may be that there is no motive but his pure hatred for humanity and if he must be a part of it, he will create a hell for everyone else in it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Iago is the perfect villain in the sense that he is a true outsider from humanity. You can almost respect him in the fact that he can do such wrong with absolutely no recognition of the destruction he has caused. Plus he is able to manipulate people’s good qualities such as trust and love and use them for his own immoral benefit. It may be that Iago himself does not possess any of these good qualities so he cannot understand goodness or it might be that he is merely jealous of the beautiful relationships and noble people surrounding him and he has had enough. Whatever the reason, Iago purposely puts himself outside of humanity because he is egotistical in nature and feels that he deserves to disrespect everyone. Shakespeare, William. Othello. New York: Oxford School, 2002.

Legalized Killing Should Be Abolished Essay -- Capital Punishment

Capital punishment, also called death penalty, is the punishment by death for a crime, and the only form of legalized killing. It may be carried out by electrocution, hanging, lethal injection, gas chamber, and firing squad. The death penalty has been banished in over one hundred and thirty countries, and it has been abolished in every industrialized nation except for the United States of America. In the United States, capital punishment has been an extremely controversial issue that divides the country and leads to disharmony. The death penalty abolition movement is growing, and some progress is being made, but there is a lot of work yet to be done. There are various organizations using different avenues to abolish the death penalty. They have been successful in New Mexico, Illinois, New Jersey and New York. These are organizations like Amnesty International, The National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (NCADP), and The People of Faith against the Death Penalty (PFADP). Amnesty international is an eloquent and a well-known organization that is established in different parts of the world and active in the defense of human rights since 1961. It is one of the largest and best-known international nongovernmental organizations that is dedicated to humanitarian treatment of all people. Amnesty means a general pardon for offenses or an act of forgiveness for past offenses. They serve several purposes on the bringing about of equality, peace and social justice. However, one of their main goals is to abolish the death penalty. The organization has been quite successful in many countries and some states in the United States. Amnesty International stands out, because it has good governmental contacts all around the world, so â€Å"Amnest... ... 2012. . Draper, Thomas. Capital Punishment. New York: H.W. Wilson, 1985. Print. Gottfried, Ted. The Death Penalty: Justice or Legalized Murder? Brookfield, CT: Twenty-First Century, 2002. Print. Illustrated Oxford Dictionary. London [etc.: Dorling Kindersley, 2003. Print. Kennedy Cuomo. â€Å"Abolish Capital Punishment† in Blot, David (Ed.) Supplementary Readings on Peace and Nonviolence. Bronx, New York: self-Published, 2008. Kronenwetter, Michael. Capital Punishment: A Reference Handbook. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2001. Print. McCarthy, Colman. "The World's Only True False Quiz on Legalized Killing." The Center for Teaching Peace. Newsletter, 2011. Weisberg, Roger and Vanessa Roth. â€Å"No Tomorrow (DVD).† Docuramafilms. A Production of Public Policy Productions, 2010.

Adulthood: Meaning of Life and Adult Essay

?Like most people, I had the urge to grow up quickly. Despite the constant â€Å"they grow up so fast† from relatives, it was not fast enough for me. I used to say, â€Å"I can’t wait until I grow up,† usually when I was frustrated with my mom’s strict rules. I fantasized about living a posh life, walking under the warm sun wearing designer shades with my athletic boyfriend before stopping at a restaurant and drinking expensive wines without my mom nagging me. My fantasy would abruptly end when my mom shattered my thoughts by reminding me that it was getting late and I had not yet started my homework. Sigh. Through my own experiences—wearing excessive makeup to make myself appear older and dating older guys—and enlightenment, my views of being an adult have changed. Adulthood is something that will occur whether we are ready or not. College is a big leap that forces people into that transition from childhood to the beginning of adult life, especially if you are going to be living on campus. In college, I will have to cook and clean and care for myself. I will no longer have my mom telling me to avoid certain people, not to procrastinate and to make the right decisions. However, I will be able to keep the advice my mom has instilled in me so far, even when we are apart, although it may be hard to do so with the partying and alcohol and stress of college. Legally, being an adult could mean being 18, yet there is no way that minute that distinguishes someone from being 17 on one day and 18 the next can determine their adulthood. Being an adult comes gradually as people take responsibilities for their actions, take care of priorities and look out for themselves with limited support of others. Adulthood is not determined by age or ability to bear children or being physically developed. I know people older than 18 who have not yet obtained these traits and I’ve seen many teen moms dependent on their parents to support the baby. I will be an adult when I am able to make the right decisions determined by my morals that I have acquired over my years, when I understand the repercussions of my actions, when I am self-sufficient or accept limited help from parents or friends, and when I care not only for myself but others. The closer I get the more frightened I become. Now I’m in no rush to become an adult. I will take advantage of my mom’s guidance and housing and rules for as long as I can. I will enjoy the moment I am in and embrace my life when I am an adult. What does make you a grown-up? Is it moving out of the house? Hitting a certain age? Having a relationship? Getting a job? How is it that we can do those things, that we consider to be â€Å"adult†, but we still feel like kids? Or that we feel like grown-ups, we’re certainly old enough, but we haven’t seemed to have accomplished any of those things â€Å"grown-ups† have done? For me being an adult is a compilation of various features and components and is more or less a personal achievement. There is no exact pattern of becoming an adult as every single person has their own way of improvement. But you always have to make that first step that draws the beginning of your self-improving. There are a number of abilities I believe you have to acomplish in order to even begin to get closer to being an adult. The ability of making reasonable decisions for yourself and people around you, being able to take responsibility for your actions, able to make the most of what you have and try to improve yourself in any possible way. Becoming an adult is a journey everyone should make at a certain moment in order to become the most they can be, to grow as an individual – mentaly and spiritually. Many people find it rather difficult and they†¦ [continues] There is no clear determinant for determining when a person becomes an adult, Some say it’s when you turn eighteen others say it’s when you get your drivers license. One thing is for sure though to become an adult you must be mature and ready to take on the world. Being an adult means achieving a separate identity, being able to support your self and/or your family financially, and being able to provide yourself with a house or a place to call home. Adulthood consists of many different aspects, and is not an easy part of life. To become an adult you must achieve a separate identity. Erik Erickson a Austrian psychologist defined identity as â€Å"a sense of self part from one’s family. † This means to be an adult you must become independent so that you will be provided the opportunity to learn and take responsibility for your own lives. Young adults need to know who they are in order to be self-dependent, they also need to know their strengths and weaknesses, and the values they consider to be important to them. People never seem to quite understand the meaning of being an â€Å"adult†. I myself am not very sure of the full meaning of it. It has always seemed to me that age is irrelevant. You can be 12 and understand things better than a 30-year-old or you can be 40, have two PhD’s and still wonder if pigeons are migratory birds. Many people my age think that getting out of their parents’ house is an act of maturity but how does changing your situation prove that you are an â€Å"adult†? If they run away from home it is more likely to lose themselves trying to cope alone and underprepared with the difficulties in life. To become an adult you must achieve a separate identity. Still everyone perceives the world and every thought in it through their own consciousness. Adulthood: Meaning of Life and Adult Essay ?Like most people, I had the urge to grow up quickly. Despite the constant â€Å"they grow up so fast† from relatives, it was not fast enough for me. I used to say, â€Å"I can’t wait until I grow up,† usually when I was frustrated with my mom’s strict rules. I fantasized about living a posh life, walking under the warm sun wearing designer shades with my athletic boyfriend before stopping at a restaurant and drinking expensive wines without my mom nagging me. My fantasy would abruptly end when my mom shattered my thoughts by reminding me that it was getting late and I had not yet started my homework. Sigh. Through my own experiences—wearing excessive makeup to make myself appear older and dating older guys—and enlightenment, my views of being an adult have changed. Adulthood is something that will occur whether we are ready or not. College is a big leap that forces people into that transition from childhood to the beginning of adult life, especially if you are going to be living on campus. In college, I will have to cook and clean and care for myself. I will no longer have my mom telling me to avoid certain people, not to procrastinate and to make the right decisions. However, I will be able to keep the advice my mom has instilled in me so far, even when we are apart, although it may be hard to do so with the partying and alcohol and stress of college. Legally, being an adult could mean being 18, yet there is no way that minute that distinguishes someone from being 17 on one day and 18 the next can determine their adulthood. Being an adult comes gradually as people take responsibilities for their actions, take care of priorities and look out for themselves with limited support of others. Adulthood is not determined by age or ability to bear children or being physically developed. I know people older than 18 who have not yet obtained these traits and I’ve seen many teen moms dependent on their parents to support the baby. I will be an adult when I am able to make the right decisions determined by my morals that I have acquired over my years, when I understand the repercussions of my actions, when I am self-sufficient or accept limited help from parents or friends, and when I care not only for myself but others. The closer I get the more frightened I become. Now I’m in no rush to become an adult. I will take advantage of my mom’s guidance and housing and rules for as long as I can. I will enjoy the moment I am in and embrace my life when I am an adult. What does make you a grown-up? Is it moving out of the house? Hitting a certain age? Having a relationship? Getting a job? How is it that we can do those things, that we consider to be â€Å"adult†, but we still feel like kids? Or that we feel like grown-ups, we’re certainly old enough, but we haven’t seemed to have accomplished any of those things â€Å"grown-ups† have done? For me being an adult is a compilation of various features and components and is more or less a personal achievement. There is no exact pattern of becoming an adult as every single person has their own way of improvement. But you always have to make that first step that draws the beginning of your self-improving. There are a number of abilities I believe you have to acomplish in order to even begin to get closer to being an adult. The ability of making reasonable decisions for yourself and people around you, being able to take responsibility for your actions, able to make the most of what you have and try to improve yourself in any possible way. Becoming an adult is a journey everyone should make at a certain moment in order to become the most they can be, to grow as an individual – mentaly and spiritually. Many people find it rather difficult and they†¦ [continues] There is no clear determinant for determining when a person becomes an adult, Some say it’s when you turn eighteen others say it’s when you get your drivers license. One thing is for sure though to become an adult you must be mature and ready to take on the world. Being an adult means achieving a separate identity, being able to support your self and/or your family financially, and being able to provide yourself with a house or a place to call home. Adulthood consists of many different aspects, and is not an easy part of life. To become an adult you must achieve a separate identity. Erik Erickson a Austrian psychologist defined identity as â€Å"a sense of self part from one’s family. † This means to be an adult you must become independent so that you will be provided the opportunity to learn and take responsibility for your own lives. Young adults need to know who they are in order to be self-dependent, they also need to know their strengths and weaknesses, and the values they consider to be important to them. People never seem to quite understand the meaning of being an â€Å"adult†. I myself am not very sure of the full meaning of it. It has always seemed to me that age is irrelevant. You can be 12 and understand things better than a 30-year-old or you can be 40, have two PhD’s and still wonder if pigeons are migratory birds. Many people my age think that getting out of their parents’ house is an act of maturity but how does changing your situation prove that you are an â€Å"adult†? If they run away from home it is more likely to lose themselves trying to cope alone and underprepared with the difficulties in life. To become an adult you must achieve a separate identity. Still everyone perceives the world and every thought in it through their own consciousness.

Nucor Steel Case Study Essay

Percentage use of Production Capacity Nucor steel has the largest production capacity capability in North America. However, they have some deficiencies in this area in that in 2010 they utilized just 70 percent of capacity, though it increased in 2011 it was still just 74 percent. Gaining greater production efficiency will reduce costs and in turn increase the profitability of the company. Issue #2 Rising Scrap Metal Prices Nucor maintains its competitive advantage through its low cost production, and their use of electric arc furnaces and recycled scrap metals to produce steel. Prices for scrap steel was not higher than $137 until 2004, and reached a peak of $438 in 2008 before the economic recession hit. In 2009 and 2010 prices were $303 and $351 respectively, and then in 2011 hit an all-time high of $439. With their per unit cost structure relying heavily on these scrap steel prices, their ability to achieve greater profitability is reduced. Nucor needs to find a way to off-set these rising prices in order to maintain its low cost strategy. Issue #3 International Competition and Foreign Subsidies US producers of steel and steel products have fallen victim to aggressively competitive pricing from international firms. In 1999 the US government determined that six countries were indeed dumping stainless steel into the US market. Half of those countries governments were facilitating this process by providing unfair subsidies to offset the firm’s losses from selling at below market prices. In 2001, the Bush administration installed a 30 percent tariff on those countries found guilty of illegal dumping. This same issue is still prevalent today as China has been accused of doing the same thing. They have significantly lower prices than American firms due to the fact that China has been devaluing their currency in order to make exports unfairly cheaper. The US government must intervene and install another tariff on Chinese steel products in order to protect its domestic producers from unfair foreign competition. Recommendation Nucor Corporation should install an aggressive international expansion strategy to achieve several goals. It should be aimed at regaining its premier profitability that it had in 2007 and 2008 mainly by reducing costs. It should strive for gaining an increased market share in developing international markets that were not as effected by the recession in regions of Asia and the Middle East. With that increased demand for steel and steel products, Nucor should not acquire additional capacity, instead they should make more efficient use of its current capacity with the goal of reaching 90 percent usage of capacity. In an effort to reduce costs, Nucor should increase its efforts of reverse-integration in order to provide itself with cheaper raw materials and lower it’s per unit production costs. International market expansion, increased raw material production, and increasing plant capacity efficiency should be the main focus moving forward as Nucor attempts to create a more cost efficient production process, increase revenues, grow its profitability, and continue to provide its stockholders with quarterly dividends and increased yearly dividends as it has for the past 40 years. Appendix A: Dominant Economic Characteristics Market Size and Growth Rate How large is the industry and how fast is it growing? The worldwide industry of crude steel production reached all-time highs with total production equaling 1,559 million tons in 2010 and 1,680 million tons in 2011. Worldwide production capacity was approximately 2,090 million tons in 2011, which resulted in a utilization rate of 80 percent in 2011. The worldwide production of crude steel has grown consistently since 2000 despite two significant periods of economic downturn and decreased demand. According to the World Steel Association, the crude steel production growth rates were 6.2 percent from 2000-2005, 4.4 percent from 2005-2010, and 4.4 percent from 2010-2011. Scope of Competitive Rivalry Is the geographic region over which most companies compete local, regional,  national, multinational, or global? A combination of both national and global Primary National Competitors US Steel ArcelorMittal USA Top Worldwide Competitors ArcelorMittal Worldwide (Luxembourg) Baosteel (China) POSCO (South Korea) Nippon Steel (Japan) JFE (Japan) Jiangsu Shagang (China) Tata Steel (India) Ansteel (China) Gerdau (Brazil) Severstal (Russia) Wuhan (China) ThyssenKrupp (Germany) Evraz (Russia) Is having a presence in foreign markets becoming more important to a company’s long-term competitive success? Yes, especially in times of domestic economic downturn. In the recession of 2009-2011, steel demand in developed countries such as the US and Japan was greatly diminished. However, demand for steel in developing regions such as India, China and the Middle East was exceeding local producer’s capacities. Thus, there is significant opportunity to expand internationally and better utilize current production capacities. Specifically for Nucor, in 2007 they decided that international growth was a necessity, and their strategy hinged on two elements: Opening foreign sales offices: 60 percent of Nucor’s current steel plants were located on deep water access areas which allowed for easy access to international shipping areas without a significant increase in cost. Joint Ventures: Nucor began developing partnerships with reputable and successful foreign firms in an attempt to greater utilize their mutual competencies as well as allow Nucor to establish itself in international markets. Product Innovation Is the industry categorized by rapid product innovation and short product life cycles? Not for the steel industry Innovation is important but with the typical size of projects, it is in no way rapid The steel industry is categorized by long product life cycles, only methods of manufacturing have been changed in the lengthy history of the industry How important is R&D and product innovation? R&D and innovation are extremely important Most major advancements in the past 60 years have resulted in industry breakthroughs that have cut costs and environmental impact dramatically Are there any opportunities to overtake key rivals by being first-to-market with next generation products? Yes, any new technology that will reduce costs and/or increase productivity will almost certainly add to a company’s competitive advantage Being first-to-market with new innovative production methods will absolutely provide an opportunity to overtake rivals This is evident in Nucor’s rise to being one of the top steel producers in North America, their use of electric arc furnaces, thin slab casting process, and strip casting technology gave them a significant boost when attempting to catch US Steel and the US’s largest steel producer Economies of Scale Is the industry characterized by economies of scale in purchasing, manufacturing, advertising, shipping, or other activities? Yes, especially in manufacturing as a company can reduce its per unit fixed costs with greater production capacity Do companies with large†scale operations have an important cost advantage over small†scale firms Yes, smaller firms are few and far between and during the 2000’s many were bought by larger firms in an attempt to increase their total plant capacity, gain market share, and gain a stronger position in specific geographic areas Learning/Experience Curve Effects Are certain industry activities characterized by strong learning and experience effects (â€Å"learning by doing†) such that unit costs decline as a company’s experience in performing the activity builds? Yes, as the firm’s plants operate, their line workers become more and more capable of executing the job, fixing potential problems, and generating ideas to improve  production As the workers become more knowledgeable and experienced, they become more efficient and productive which in turn lowers labor costs and increases total product available for sale and revenues Do any companies have significant cost advantages because of their learning/experience in performing particular activities? Nucor has an advantage in this particular area because of their egalitarian company culture where managers and hourly employees discuss potential improvements and changes on a regular basis They are also very decentralized and are open to new ideas, Nucor truly believes that t heir best source of knowledge for potential improvements in manufacturing is from the employees that are on the front line of the manufacturing process Appendix B: PESTEL Analysis Political Factors The main political factor that is affecting the steel industry pertains to the US market and foreign competition Nucor and many other American steel companies have appealed to the US government that they have been facing unfair competition from foreign firms, they believed that several foreign steel producers were practicing illegal dumping of steel and steel products into the US market In March of 1999, the US Department of Commerce concluded that steel companies in six countries had illegally dumped stainless steel in the US: Canada South Korea Taiwan Italy Belgium South Africa The governments in Belgium, Italy, and South Africa further facilitated this practice by providing subsidies that would cover revenue losses for firms selling steel at below market prices This is still an issue today as US steel producers are facing similar competition from China, where most steel companies are government owned and operated, China has also devalued its own currency in order to provide significantly lower prices Economic Conditions The steel industry is relatively affected by economic conditions Since prices and percentage use of capacity are determined by market supply and demand forces, when the economy is healthy, then demand is strong and steel companies can be profitable. On the other hand, when the economy enters a recession, then demand is reduced greatly and most firms cannot be profitable This is evident with the economic downturns that occurred in the early 2000’s as well as in 2009-2011 when most firms saw revenues and profits decrease dramatically Nucor saw sales drop from 25,187,000 tons in 2008 to 17,576,000 tons in 2009; and accordingly saw net profits drop from $1.8 billion in 2008 to a loss of $293 million in 2009 Sociocultural Forces There is a limited effect of sociocultural forces with respect to the steel industry There will be minor influence based on the growth rate of the population, as with a faster growing population, the need for schools, hospitals, roads, and other public buildings will increase which will in turn increase demand for steel and steel products Technological Factors The technological advances in the steel industry have been revolutionary over the years and have provided other industries with valuable information on how to improve their own production facilities and capabilities However, in recent years it hasn’t provided for the emergence of many new industries stemming from those innovations, nor has it provided significant value to society Environmental Forces Rising fuel prices are hurting steel companies bottom line in that they cannot generate the same amount of power as they could in previous years without increasing expenditures and raising their per unit costs each quarter Plant emission requirements are strictly enforced by the EPA and the US government In the past 50 years, the steel production industry has made great strides in becoming more environmentally conscious and efficient Nucor has developed new techniques and technologies that allow for a more environmentally responsible production process Especially their steel production efforts in Brazil where they use a eucalyptus farm for the fuel in their blast furnace rather than coal, and the eucalyptus farm absorbs more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than the plant emits and completely  neutralizes the effect of global warming Legal and Regulatory Factors Labor laws greatly affect the steel industry, Nucor has few issues with these as they compensate their employees well over federal requirements and industry averages Safety regulations are also a major factor as compliance with OSHA and other safety organizations in a requirement Appendix C: Five Forces Analysis Threat of New Entrants Weak The costs associated with entering the steel industry are excessive and the threat of a company doing so is very limited Competition from Substitutes Weak Companies in industries that require steel and steel products, can only use steel and steel products, as other metals don’t possess the same metallurgical qualities like strength and durability required There is some potential that other metals like aluminum, titanium, tungsten and many others could pose a threat, but the majority of Nucor’s customers need steel Buyer Power Moderate Customers have the availability to shop different companies as price is the main determining factor in the industry Since prices and competitive advantage is mainly determined by cost and market supply and demand forces, then customers have a moderate ability to leverage another company’s, or even another country’s, price against a particular supplier Supplier Power Moderate In previous years, Nucor had been at the mercy of rising raw materials prices But in recent years they have begun an aggressive backward-integration strategy to begin producing 6 million to 7 million tons of steel for use in its steel product manufacturing plants Their move to provide their own raw materials has greatly reduced their reliance on raw steel suppliers in the midst of ever-increasing prices Rivalry Strong Domestic competition from US Steel and ArcelorMittal USA is extremely fierce Foreign competition from both European and Asian firms is incredibly stout as well Since advantage is determined mostly by low costs and low prices, competition is a constant price war Appendix D: Drivers of Change in the Industry Innovation of new production techniques Production efficiency Efficiency of capacity usage Ability to reduce costs and therefore lower prices Globalization New marketing strategies Resiliency to changing economic and market conditions Diffusion of technological know-how across companies and countries Consolidation of companies Regulatory influences and government policy changes Appendix E: Current Strategy In 2000, Nucor began a five-part growth strategy that involved: New acquisitions New plant construction Continued plant upgrades and cost reduction efforts International growth through joint ventures Greater control over raw materials Their overall strategy includes all of the above as well as being a low-cost producer and low-price market leader in the steel industry Appendix F: Competitor Analysis Competitor Analysis Framework Current Strategy US Steel Positioned as the long-time industry leader Its competitive advantage, if any is based in brand strength ArcelorMittal USA Positioned alongside US Steel and Nucor in production capacity and serves many of the same industries Competitive Advantage lies in its sales volume and earnings Objectives US Steel Due to significant losses both domestically and in Serbia, strategic financial changes should be expected ArcelorMittal USA Currently experiencing profitable operations, only minor changes should take place in the future Capabilities US Steel Strengths: Brand awareness Years of experience Weaknesses: Unionized workforce Net losses in recent years ArcelorMittal USA Strengths: International subsidiary of ArcelorMittal, thus have knowledge beyond US market Production capacity, sales revenues, and profits Weaknesses: Lack of brand awareness Assumptions US Steel As the old guard, have operated in the red in several years, and assume that they aren’t going anywhere and that the market will turn in their favor ArcelorMittal USA With their overwhelming knowledge from international operations, and being a subsidiary of the largest single steel producer in the world, they assume that their market share and drive for low costs will eventually prevail Strategic Group Map The above chart displays the market positioning of the main three competitors in the US steel production industry. The size of each circle is determined by the volume of steel products shipped. All statistical data used is from 2011. Volume of steel products shipped is very comparable, and the total  number of production plants in the US is also very similar between the three. The largest disparity is on the net profit axis where ArcelorMittal USA led with $2.3 billion in profit, Nucor earned $778 million, and US Steel shows losses of $53 million. Weighted Competitor Strength Analysis and Key Success Factors This chart details the strengths and weaknesses of each of the major three companies in the US steel market based on four key success factors Appendix G: SWOT Analysis Appendix H: Financial Analysis Net Profit Margin Net profit margin shows the percentage of after-tax profit of sales, the chart above shows the true effects of the economic recession that hit in the fourth quarter of 2008, and the slow recovery of the market since then. The market is expected to gain strength in 2012 and Nucor and its stockholders are hoping that forecast is true as they strive to reach their peak performance levels that they obtained in 2007-2008. Return on Invested Capital Return on invested capital is a measure of the return that shareholders are earning on long-term invested monetary capital. This particular measure shows how the economic recession effected Nucor’s shareholders and their overall return on invested capital. 2011 provided a significant rebound in ROIC and Nucor will need to continue to trend this measure upward to meet investor expectations. Internal Cash Flow Internal cash flow is a rough estimate of how much cash a company’s business is producing and would have for potential dividend payments or capital expenditures. The internal cash flow measure is yet another representation of how much the global recession of 2009 and 2010 effected Nucor and its ability to continue its operations as it had in previous years. Despite the drastic reduction in its internal cash flow, Nucor still managed to pay its  shareholders a dividend as it had for 156 consecutive quarters while also increasing the dividend payment paid to stockholders every year since 1973.

Cisco Case Study Essay

Cisco Systems is an industry leader in network technology. Their primary business is technology that is used to enable communication with people all over the world with multiple functions. Whether it be email, voice video or general applications these service are transported over Cisco Networks. The current CEO is John Chambers who has held the position since 1995. This case study focuses on his vision and strategy over the past 17 years. Cisco is a market leader in networking technology. Financial Information: www. Bloomberg.com (1) Sales 2012 Sales/Revenue/Turnover: Total Operating Revenues. $46,681,000,000 Gross Profit $28,558,000,00 Net income $ 8,356,000,000 Key Milestones in Cisco’s History (2) 1997 All in One: Data/Voice/Video 2000 Network of Networks 2006 Network as Platform 2008-Current Collaboration/ Web 2.0 SWOT ANALYSIS Cisco’s’ internal strengths are its people. They have a built a corporation with over 70,000 employees. 1/3 of those are Engineering people who develop Cisco’s solutions. (2). These solutions come from internal design or from acquisitions. There weakness is the size of the corporation compared to when they were in there early days. They challenges adapting to customer demands at the rapid pace the technology industry changes. The opportunities have come with the use of acquisitions. When they want to add a piece of technology to their portfolio they at times bypass the development process and acquire a company with the needed expertise. The major threats to the business are the number of employees who leave and go to competitors. Many of Cisco’s competitors are run by former Cisco employees. See Juniper.com(7) ANALYSIS VIA PORTER’S FIVE FORCES MODEL Analyze the competitive environment by listing the threat of new entrants, the bargaining power of buyers, the bargaining power of suppliers, the threat of substitute products and services, and the intensity of rivalry among competitors in the industry (Chapter 2). Summarize your key points in a Figure. (25 points) Cisco’s’ threat of new entrants is limited due to Cisco’s market cap on network Switching: Modular/Fixed (2) . They currently hold a 69% market cap sue to their design and build of these devices. Their competitors have copied and duplicated these products and there are only handful that compete. The bargaining power as a buyer based on thre volume allows them to keep manufacturing costs low. There suppliers in turn have strong bargaining power with their silicon and chip manufactures. New Chipsets are developed rapidly and suppliers can gain a competitive advantage over the manufacturers. The threat of substitute products is a common theme with Cisco. An example was a Chinese company stole Cisco’s design and started producing replica hardware. Years of litigation was later settled however the cost to do so was a major impact. (3)This caused an intense rivalry with its competitor 3Com who partnered with the Chinese company (4). The other issue with its competitors is its talent pool. Many of Cisco’s engineers leave for competitor with hopes of creating the next generation of technology. STRATEGY USED Cisco’s competitive advantage in the switching market has led them into being market leaders in other sectors. Having the market share of the core network as the base layer of Infrastructure allows them to see the need of its customers. These sectors have all been supplicants that utilize the Cisco core networking products that today has brought them an industry market share in the following area. The core strategy used is there overall cost leadership to create this competitive advantage Performance Market share per sector Security 31% Digital Video: IPTV-64% Switching: Modular/Fixed- 69% Voice-37% Wireless: LAN-54% Storage: Area Networks-44% Routing: Edge/Core/Access-53% Networked Home-23% Web Conferencing-38% (2) One core strategy they used in the area of differentiation was the introduction of Voice over the network. Voice is a legacy technology created over 100 years ago and up until recently was run with the same original design concepts. Cisco changed that system buy running voice over the IP network. Today VOIP phone systems are a standard and the original POTS (plain old pots lines) are now considered legacy. They used acquisitions to buy phone providers and break down there core fundamental and produce them on IP networks., allowing today the use of voice over your PC Email Text. They were very successful in this space however not all companies can use this strategy for this particular technology. There install base is so strong the market is saturated and would not be cost effective. This strategy however is now in the maturity stage of the industry life cycle. They contain 69% of the voice market and they are continued to grow. The core installations will eventually decline however the service to maintain the phones systems will continue to remain in the maturity stage. Cisco’s strategy is based on catching market transitions—the market transitions that affect our customers. With the proliferation of video and collaborative Web 2.0 technologies, the network continues to evolve from the plumbing of the Internet—providing connectivity—to the platform that will change the way we work, live, play and learn.â€â€" John Chambers, Chairman and CEO, Cisco THE ISSUES AND CHALLENGES FACING THIS COMPANY Cisco’s’ competitive advantage in some sectors can be maintained. The overall progress should continue however weaker sectors where they have lost focus on have declined. In the example of the home Networked sector they maintain a low 23% market share. This has not been inline what the projections were when they entered these markets. Recently they have announced they are moving away from the home based market with a sale of their Linksys lien to Belkin (5) I believe the companies’ competitive advantage can be maintained if they focus on areas where they have control on market share. Shedding unprofitable business such as Linksys is a step in the right direction. This product is clearly on the decline side and Cisco should focus on growth areas such as storage area networks. The companies’ culture is changing from when they were a smaller enterprise they were able to maneuver with market needs more quickly. The fierce competition in the home market was one of the company problems. I believe that they are an enterprises corporation provider of services and do not understand the needs of home based users. COURSE OF ACTION RECOMMENDED I would advise Cisco to focus on server storage sectors. They are not a market leader in servers such as HP but have new products that are changing the way we companies utilize servers. This is a differentiation strategy that will change the industry if done correctly. They created a virtual server solution called UCS that if markets correctly could achieve future growth in the server storage sector. (6) I would use my market power and customer to base to provide these solutions at a low cost and this will expose a broad customer base to the product OPINION What do you think of this case study? Describe what you believe are the lessons learned from this case. (10 points) I think this case study showed me new concepts in strategic management. By studying Cisco’s market dominance based on 46 billion in revenues I now understand that having a competitive advantage must be maintained. Seeing Cisco now leaving markets is a new direction for them and these concepts have brought me to understand that. REFERENCES When you have completed the paper using the above sections, insert a page break and have a separate references page. The references should be listed in accordance with the APA guidelines as shown in the tutorial. (5 points) http://www.bloomberg.com/quote/CSCO:AR (1) http://newsroom.cisco.com/documents/10157/0/Corporate+Overview+-+Q2FY12.pdf (2) http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/07/29/cisco_huawei_case_ends/ (3) http://www.theregister.co.uk/2003/07/09/3com_welcome_to_join_ciscohuawei/(4) http://www.dailytech.com/Belkin+Plans+to+Purchase+Ciscos+Linksys+Home+Networking+Business+Unit/article29747.htm(5) http://www.cisco.com/assets/global/europe/powerofu/ucs_vs_hp_deployment.pdf(6) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juniper_Networks(7)

A Theory of Human Motivation

A Theory of Human Motivation There are five basic hierarchical needs that each person must satisfy in order to achieve self-fulfillment. These needs begin with physiological, which includes the automatic drive to fulfill one’s basic nourishment from food, water and air, as well as the choices in the selection of these needs. If these basic physiological needs are not met, all other needs will be ignored until these are satisfied. Second is the person’s need for safety, which yields to short term and immediate dangers before considering other long term concerns to maintain safety in the future. The motivation to fulfill these needs include relieving physical discomforts such as pain or temperature extremes, avoiding hazardous risks that could potentially cause harm to one’s self, and also seeking surroundings that are familiar. Once the first two needs have been met, a person will focus on finding acceptance with others, not only with sex, but as a sense of belongingness with a person or groups that has a mutual concern for one another. Failure to satisfy the need for love often results in psychological maladjustments and disconnection in the future. The next is the esteem needs, which is the desire for respect from one’s self as well as respect from others. The next need for self-actualization refers to a person’s desire to become whatever they imagine themselves capable of. If all other needs are satisfied then that person will then seek to improve one’s own self in a way that they feel themselves capable of, and that varies from person to person. While further needs are seldom pursued, the final need is the desire to know and to understand that which has been previously unanswered. This is a need to satisfy one’s greatest curiosities in the final stage of self-fulfillment. Once a need is fulfilled and higher needs become satisfied, a person may shift their attention back to more basic needs that have since been depleted or lost. These needs are only applicable in humans and the study of these needs on animals does not suggest anything about the higher needs of human motivation.

ExpertSystems Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

ExpertSystems - Research Paper Example based on the web consists of a case management system - a case management system is essentially a large table of actions, which come from a range of sources. The origins might include: It also has a point management system. Here, the Jonas Point of Sale system allows for the creation of an unlimited amount of menus and nested menus, grants easy access to member preferences, and even enables pre-event chit setup for quick and easy processing at a later time. All of these features and many more are made available through complete integration with the rest of your Jonas Management System. The other one is the menu management system. Here, the point management system contains four subsystems. There are employees, employer, menu suppliers, and the case management agents. Using tips issued by the employer, employees pick the menu objects given out by the menu suppliers, and utilize points in addition to money for it. Some menu suppliers get sorted by agents. The system is for assisting the human resource department in a number of ways which include: The human resource department can use the system to view and record various requests from the employees’ preferences in order to process them. The system can also provide a questionnaire such as a graphical user interface where the employees can enter data systematically, as prompted by the system. The system specification document is about the definition and development of the Benefits Cafeteria System project. The document includes the necessities for Suite Spot employees to manage personal data, authentication control and mechanism for authorization as well as managing the employees’ benefits. After the creation of the new system, the employees will be required to register with the system and create a new profile. In particular, the Benefits Cafeteria System will take control and manage the employee’s database. The use of the system will be based on the different roles of the employees, age, seniority,