Monopoly and American values Essay Example for Free

Monopoly and American values Essay In societies all over the world the board game Monopoly is played by children and adults. The Parker Brother’s game has been sold in 37 different languages; over 200 million copies have been sold, is claimed to be the most popular game, and has also been sold in 103 countries. In America millions have played and is a normal and acceptable â€Å"American Past Time. † From a functionalist perspective the board game teaches and expresses many of the American values such as; equal opportunity, personal achievement and success, obtaining material comfort, progress, and the idea of democracy and free enterprise. The functionalist perspective represents society as system containing various parts that all work together to achieve social solidarity. In a post-industrial society, how does the game of Monopoly socialize people to the American Values? Society sure does function together and is well structured for the benefit of citizens, government, and entrepreneurs. The board game Monopoly has many rules and norms. There have even been Monopoly Etiquette Guides written for the serious players as well as tournament players. The recommended age for play is eight years of age and older and a minimum of two players. In America most of those with siblings of children understand how wrong a game of Monopoly can turn into a big fight. The rules of the game are pretty easy to follow. The object of the game is to become the wealthiest player through buying, renting and selling property. Each player is given $1500 to begin the game. A player must be elected to be the banker and sell property, houses, hotels, and pay the $200 salary that is collected each time a player passes go. The banker is also responsible for collecting fines and taxes owed. The spaces on the board are all labeled and include; GO, Jail, Chance, Community Chest, Taxes, Free Parking, and pay rent when landing on an opponent’s improved property. Each player is represented by a token which is a symbol of the game. These include; a wheel barrow, a car, an iron, a thimble, a cowboy on a horse, a dog , a pot of gold, a top hat, a ship, a boot, or a cannon. Each player is subject to going bankrupt, therefore increasing the other player’s chance of finding wealth. American society is very similar to the game of Monopoly. Players are socialized to these ideas which represent the values of America. Equal opportunity is taught by everyone beginning with the same amount of money, $1500, as well as $200 salary collected with each rotation around the board. Personal achievement and success is demonstrated on becoming the wealthiest player and to own the most property. Striving and working for material comfort is taught through collecting a salary and improving your owned properties, as well as collecting rent. Progress is a value in America that is evaluated by members of society on a daily basis. Progress in the game Monopoly is measured by wealth and property owned and creating a monopoly on resources, buildings, and property. The last important American value taught to players is democracy and free enterprise. The consensus of Monopoly is that it is a fun game to play. The manifest function of Monopoly is to entertain a group of players whether they are children, adolescents, or adults. The latent function is teaching players to think solely of themselves and not their neighbor who they should help. Greed is taught due to the emphasis of becoming the wealthiest player. The most witnessed latent function of Monopoly being causing dishonesty, anger, and even fighting between competitors. Although there are some negatives against the game the most important role is promoting social solidarity by encouraging a better community effort. Progress takes everyone’s help not just a few. Two options were given for a research assignment at the beginning of the course. Option one was to choose a category from; film, sports, or advertising. The second option was to read a book outside of class that focuses on Wal-Mart, minimum wage jobs for women, or how fast food has created a â€Å"now† demand for all of America’s services. The option selected for a personal interest was sports. More specifically how gender plays a role in the racing world. How are women and men treated differently? A major focus will be on drag racing and how times have changed as far as who can and cannot race as demonstrated by NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) Drag Racing. In conclusion Monopoly helps teach and spread the ideas of American culture. Players are to become the wealthiest and may have a higher social status as they can win Monopoly. A study in 2005 found that American’s value self expression more than survival. (Macionis pg. 49) This is even taught through Monopoly by being able to select how you build your property and by picking your game piece to represent yourself. A comparative study found that in 1969 the goal of first year college students was to â€Å"Develop a meaningful philosophy of life† in contrast to 2005 first year college students are wanting â€Å"to be very well off financially†. (Macionis pg. 56) Today in America having wealth is sought by all citizens but few find extreme wealth. According to the values of American’s material comfort should be worked for and can be more important than survival. With the ideas of democracy and free enterprise being key concepts of the game it is not surprising to find that globally approximately 46% of the worlds countries are â€Å"politically free†. (Macionis pg. 44) Although the game has been published in 37 different languages, English is a very common first language as well as a common second language across the globe. (Macionius pg. 47) Following the same thought nearly all of the United States speaks English or Spanish in the home. (Macionius pg. 56)This allows for the further acknowledgement of the American Values to many societies. Overall the game of Monopoly socializes people of many cultures to the American values. All of the American values encourage a person to think personally rather than globally.

Different Perspectives Of Employment Relations Management Essay

Different Perspectives Of Employment Relations Management Essay For the employment relations, there is complicate and compelling area of study which involves relationships with employees, employers, trade unions and government on a regular basis. At the same time, there are three perspectives which are unitarism, pluralist and radical, each offers a special perception of workplace relations and explain the actions, statements and employers behaviours and trade unionists, such as workplace conflict, role of unions and job regulation vary differently. Based on the UK employment relations structure, the essay will analysis which perspectives appropriate for employee relations in the UK. Unitarist pespective The unitaty perspective is based upon the assumption that the organisation is, at the same time, the unitary perspective organisation can be as an integrated and harmonious whole with the ideal of one happy family, where management and other members of the staff are all share a common purpose, emphasizing mutual cooperation(Naukrihub, 2007) and they have a set of common values, interests and objectives. Furthermore, unitarism has a paternalistic approach where it demands on all employees loyalty, being predominantly managerial in its emphasis and application. For unitary perspective, there are two important implications stemming from this. The first one is that conflict as the expression of employee dissatisfaction and differences with management is perceived as an irrational activity. Here, the conflict is regard as bad for the organisation and should be suppressed through coercive means( Rose, 2004). The second is that trade unions are regarded as unnecessary since the loyalty between employees and organizations are considered mutually exclusive, where there cant be two sides of industry. Conflict is perceived as disruptive and the pathological result of agitators, interpersonal friction and communication breakdown. Therefore, trade unions should be denied a presence within the organisation. In some cases, however, trade union may force managements accept presence for the purpose of pay determination and employment conditions. Under no situation and according to this perspective, union should have a part to play in the authority exerci se and decision-making within the organisation, as this would represent a violation of managerial prerogative( Rose, 2004). As a simple theoretical device, the unitary perspective can be used to identify the industrial relations climate within specific types of organisation, both historically and currently. In the 2000s there are mant examples of organisations whose management adopt a modified unitary view. For example, Marks Spencer treat their employees well, and it is firms within this category they are often described as neo-paternalist. In the organisational contexts, the unitary perspective remains an important theoretical device for examing managers attitudes and perceptions. The Pluralist perspective In pluralism the organization is perceived as being made up of powerful and divergent sub-groups, each with its own legitimate loyalties and with their own set of objectives and leaders. In particular, the two predominant sub-groups in the pluralistic perspective are the management and trade unions ¼Ã‹â€ Naukrihub, 2007). The pluralist perspective during the twentieth century include a widespread distribution of authority and power in society, ownership separation from management, political separation and industrial conflict and an acceptance and institutionalisation of conflict in both spheres. The priciple assumption of pluralist perspective is that the individuals organisation comprises groups which have their own aims, interests and leadership. These aims and interests often conflict and compete with other groups and give rise to tensions which have to be management. The pluralist organisation has many source of loyalty and authority in groups, trade unions and other sectional interests( Rose,2004). Pluralist organisation approach sees conflicts of interest and disagreements between managers and workers over the distribution of profits as normal and inescapable. According to the pluralist perspective, management-employee conflict is both rational and inevitable and stems from the different roles of managerial and employee groups( Rose,2004). Consequently, the role of management would lean less towards enforcing and controlling and more toward persuasion and co-ordination. Trade unions are deemed as legitimate representatives of employees. Conflict is dealt by collective bargaining and is viewed not necessarily as a bad thing and if managed could in fact be channeled towards evolution and positive change. Realistic managers should accept conflict to occur. There is a greater propensity for conflict rather than harmony. For pluralist perspective, the trade unions are legitimate representative organisations which enable employees groups to influence management decisions. Pluralist perspective also accepts that employees have loyalties to organisations other than their own management and that trade unions are a legitimate source of these loyalties. Marxist perspective The marxist perspective is broader in scope and it also emphases the importance of collective action and organisation explained in terms of mobilisation theory. When the marxist perspective beliefs change, the organisation and society will change. Marxist main discuss the capital society deeply and its production, distribution and exchange system. This perspective is not only analysis industrial relations in organisational job regulation terms, but also discuss industrial relations in social, political and economic terms. For marxist perspective, it is argued the capitalist systems weakness and contradiction which can lead to revolution and the ascendancy of socialism over capitalism. According to this perspective, capitalism would encourage monopolies, and at the same time, wages will decrease at minimum standard of living. Capitalists and workers would compete in contention to win ground and establish their constant win-lose struggles would be evident. According to the marxist perspective, the economic inequalities are exist in wider social conflict, more specifically within the industrial relations arena and industrial conflict. There are some certain assumptions which are based on the marxist perspective. First one is society changing can lead to class conflict, if without this conflict, the society would stop following. Secondly, the inequalities cause class conflict arise in the distribution of economic power in society. Thirdly, the basic economic inequality is between who own capital and who supply and sell their labour( Rose, 2004). Fourth one is the nature of social and political institutions is derived from this basic economic inequality. Selective recruiment maintained and reinforced inequality and differential access education, government employment and other establishment institutions. Based on the marxist perpective, the conflict is structural and necessary. There is a example which is industrial conflict for marxist perspective. Industrial conflict always show itself in strikes and other forms of collective action of striking such as working to rule, go-slows and so on. Because of imbalance and division, industrial conflict is continuous and inescapable, and closely associated with political and social conflict. Conflict is therefore seen as inevitable and trade unions are a natural response of workers to their exploitation by capital. Through reducing competition between individual employees, trade unions can enhance their collective industrial power. Trade unions provide a focus for the expression and protection of working classes interests. At the same time, the trade unions are part of political process which can change in the nature of main economic and social systems. Through the comparison of these three perspectives, they have their own different views of employee relations. Unitary perspective approach is that management and staff, and all members of the organization share the same objectives, interests and purposes; thus working together, hand-in-hand, towards the shared mutual goals and the conflict is perceived as disruptive. Pluralism also tends to see conflict as inherent in workplaces, it approaches see conflicts of interest and disagreements between managers and workers over the distribution of profits as normal and inescapable. Marxist perspective focuses on the fundamental division of interest between capital and labor, and sees workplace relations against this background(Naukrihub, 2007). The conflict for marxist perspective in employment relationship reflect the society structure. Employee relations can be defined as the complex of interactions among managers, workers, and agencies of the state. For British employment relations, the unions, employers and collective bargaining which are more important job regulation form. Simultaneously, we should examine the role of state and conclude with a review of somr issues of current and future importance. Based on this information, in my opinion, pluralist perpective is appropriate for analysis of employee relations in the UK. In 1964, the Report of the Royal Commission On Trades Unions and Employers Associations (The Donovan Report) recommended pluralism as a pragmatic, effective alternative to the unitarist approach. This perspective always happened between manager and workers who have conflicts with interest distribution and disagreements, it is inescapable. At that time, the realistic managers should accept conflict occur and it is a greater propensity for conflict, but it is not harmony. Through securing agreed procedures, the realistic managers anticipate and resolve settling dispute. Britain has a very small Communist Party, which has no seats in Parliament. Nevertheless, it has been influential in some unions, and it contributes to policy debates on the left(Greg and Russell, 1987). In 1896, one of the largest employers associations which is employers Federation, it is established a national lockout of workers in opposition to union calls for an eight-hour day. Over time, employees required to work more and more. Especially in the early twentieth century, employersassociation still operate procedures for resolving industrial disputes, provide advisory and consultancy services( Amstrong, 1984) which indicates employees and manages have more severe disputes than before. Pluralism can help employers resolve the dispute. Pluralism assumes that achievement of consensus and long-term stability in management and worker relations which is the best way to keep balance of the competing groups demands. Management should thus adopt policies and agree to procedures and codes which recognise that conflicting interests exist and they should be willing to negotiate compromises. Collective bargaining can be resolved differences to management and labour. Through legitimate bargaining arrangements between employers and unions, workers can better share in the the profits of business. Thus trade unions can be as a key role which can stands for workers in income distribution. In UK, pluralism respects the concepts and practicable solutions which were available at the mid 1960s. Trade union organisation was dominant in large industrial sectors. In the UK the problems of world competitiveness were beginning to be understood, but the entire population havent experienced a world recession which was influenced by inflation problem and industrial restructuring. Even governments were not powerful enough to influence the direction of union power. Pluralism reflects a stakeholder model of power sharing and distribution of influence. In general, however, industrial relations of pluralist policy application which encourages planning, orderliness and consistency in the management of relations with a unionised workforce. Worker representatives can raised issues legitimately. It also argued formalised consultation and communication procedures which can improve the flow of feedback from staff. This perspective can keep the interests of various stakeholders balance, invo lved in the creation of the firms wealth. In the 1960s and 1970s in the UK many businesses gave considerable attention to their pluralistic, union-management policies. In the 1980s, bargaining power and ability to mobilize the workers to reduce the situation to the strike, coupled with competiton in the 1990s pressures greatly reduced in the existing trade union. Managers seem to have learned the lesson to their homes in order and investment policies, and uniform throughout the organization. Personnel management became a more important and specialised function in Britain, especially in the large firms. But the pluralist perspective is that of an organisation that is more diverse with clear differences of values and interpretations exisiting between interest groups. According to the analyse the development of UK employment relations, I consider the pluralist perspective that is appropriate for the analysis of employee relations in the UK.

Comparing Love in the Film, Secrets and Lies and Toni Morrisons Belove

Possessive Love in Secrets and Lies and Beloved  Ã‚        The word â€Å"freedom† is subject to various degrees of interpretation in the sense that it can be used in more than one context.   One definition of freedom is the idea of having your own sense of self without the control of others.   On the other hand, a lack of freedom is the idea of feeling trapped and smothered in a situation one has no control over.   Freedom can relate to school, relationships, or even within oneself.   A lack of freedom can have nothing to do with other people but with the ball and chain that can be placed on by oneself.   Of course the outside world will be involved, but the pain of feeling trapped comes from the frustration that fills one’s soul.   A lack of freedom can result from a twisted circle of other events and other people.   In the novel Beloved and the film Secrets and Lies, the enslavement that Roxanne and Denver feel result from their mothers’ possessive love.   Sethe and Cynthia both have horrific pasts , leaving them in captivity and causing them to have unhealthy relationships with their daughters.   Sethe and Cynthia love the only way the know how, possessively and dependently, causing Denver and Roxanne’s mental enslavement.   In the film Secrets and Lies, both Cynthia and her twenty-one year-old daughter Roxanne, live a life of captivity.   Cynthia’s is due to her unexplained past, while Roxanne’s is in result of her overbearing mother.   Cynthia’s lack of freedom does not result from another’s actions, but from her own past.   The trauma and lack of love she has experienced, has been blocked out and instead of dealing with it, she lives off of the attention of others.   When she meets her daughter Hortense, whom she had given up for adopt... ...or a life as it is now under Beloved’s control, she chooses a life for herself.   By having support for the first time, freeing both of her daughters, and restoring her sense of self, Sethe is on her way to a life of happiness and trust, rather than dependence on others.   Although their backgrounds are completely different, both Cynthia and Sethe battle the same demons.   Their pasts have consumed them and dependence on others, or complete isolation is the only way they know how to deal with it.   This causes the mental enslavement of Roxanne and Denver.  Ã‚   In order to overcome their emotional scars, they must learn to stand on their own two feet.   Only when they do this will they be able to release their daughters, and restore their own self worth and freedom for all.       Works Cited Morrison, Toni.   Beloved.   New York: Penguin Books, 1998.      

New Orleans :: American Melting Pot

New Orleans   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In a country containing so much diversity and history, it is practically impossible to locate one city which embodies American diversity. A colony started by the French was the first area to fully integrate culture and religion. The city of New Orleans, now prosperous from its diversity, epitomizes the "American Melting Pot". It is complicated to relate such different backgrounds, but with an overview of history, culture, religion, and integration on a small scale, a reader is capable of applying the values to the American culture as a whole.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1699 the first plans for New Orleans were born. French-Canadian, Pierre le Moyen, Sieur d'Iberville left France to found a colony on the Gulf of Mexico. Sieur d'Iberville set up a fur trading for originally on the north gulf coast, then moved the establishment to Dauphin Island. Once again, he moved the fort and created an inland colony near Louisiana. Sieur d'Iberville was in charge of all of France's responsibilities in the southern portion of the territory. Wen Iberville died in 1706 the land under his jurisdiction was given to ho brother, Jean Baptiste de Moyen Sieur de Beinville.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Beinville had great plans for the development of the French colonies and in 1717 he submitted plans for a new settlement to the Company of the West. In 1718 France agreed with Beinville's plans and authorized him to establish the settlement, according to his plans, one hundred miles up the Mississippi. Four years later the capitol of the Louisiana territory was transferred to the new settlement now know as New Orleans.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The new colony was called "New Orleans'; in honor of the Duke d'Orlean. Duke d'Orlean supposedly had something to do with the funding for the new colony. The Duke favored John Law, the founder of the Company of the West, and supported many of the company's ventures, the construction of New Orleans inclusive.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The new, growing colony needed a government, so a democratic council was formed. New Orleans was under the rule of a law making body called the Superior council which was first formed in 1712. The Superior Council was well liked by the people because it was a small representative democracy. During the 1720's and 30's Beinville was replaced as mayor by Sieur de Pierre. The colony did not experience much growth between these years so Beinville was reappointed governor in 1733 and left the colony permanently in 1742.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Spain took over the government of New Orleans in 1766. The Spanish sent the new governor, Antonio de Ulloa, to reign over their newest asset.

Response to Article College is a Waste of Time and Money Essay

The key and initial forces/factors that help children receive a good education are parents’ support, the child’s confidence, and the drive to learn. In The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me, Sherman Alexie demonstrates each characteristic, strives through obstacles and shines through it all. According to therapist, Anna Robinson, the first and key factor in children receiving a good education is parents’ support. Anna discovers that when children come into her office, one key initial common thing the children posse is lack of hearing their parents encourage what they are doing and not pushing them enough. For example, in The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me, Alexie’s dad doesn’t say anything but encourages Alexie with by collecting books from everywhere. Alexie taught himself how to read first by â€Å"reading† Superman comic books. Now the word reading has parentheses around it because Alexie looks at the pictures and assumes what Superman is doing and saying. â€Å"I look at the narrative above the picture. I cannot read the words†¦.. Aloud, I pretend to re...

Value Chain and Competitive Forces

Value Chain and Competitive Forces: Effects of Information Technology Module 2 Case John Dow ITM524: Fundamentals of Information Technology Management Dr. Somebody Somebody February 4, 2012 Introduction Businesses are established with the sole reason to provide a product or service to a customer with the intend to make a profit. The amount of time, effort, and resources spend should generate a profit. Then, the profit depends â€Å"on its effectiveness in performing these activities efficiently, so that the amount that the customer is willing to pay of the products exceeds the cost of the activities in the value chain† (NetMBA. om). Ideally, these products and/or services outpace the competition. In order to do so, Michael Port, suggest a company must sustain long-term profitability (Porter, 2008). He suggests one must look beyond your direct competitors; as explained in his revolutionary 1979 HBR article and further defined in 2008. There, he identifies â€Å"the five forces that shape industry competition†, for businesses to utilize in shaping a strategic vision for long-term sustainability; or better know for the organizations’ sustainability. This paper will deliver as points of discussion or analysis the value chain and competitive forces based on ‘The Mini-cases: 5 companies, 5 strategies, 5 transformations article and cases; and what, if any, affects did Information Technology have on the value chain and competitive forces on those five organizations. Mini Case # 1 – A Better Place In the first mini case, a company called Better Place presents its challenge within timely opportunity. It wants to enable the fastest way to bring electronic filling stations, as future technology, to a market of electronic vehicles. To gain a â€Å"first in† advantage of this new market, the company takes in to full consideration the Cost Advantage and the Value Chain. As identified by Porter, on e of the 10 cost drivers related to the value chain activities is geographical location and timing of market entry. Furthermore, ‘Differentiation and the Value Chain’ analysis was taken into consideration; in other words, the ‘uniqueness’ to gain advantages. Again, Porter identified several drivers of uniqueness. The ones applicable here are (1) policies, (2) timing, (3) location, at a minimum. Developing a strategy to maintain sustainability, or as some novice management called it â€Å"maintain business viability† (Fromartz, S. (2009), is key to ensure long-term success. Better Place’s strategy is accruing a competitive advantage in removing a major barrier to the widespread adaption of electric cars by identifying favorable locations. Mini Case # 2 – Nike Nike had a unique challenge to overcome compliance over criticism of labor practices and capitalize on sustainability efforts. Identifying waste in product design and manufacturing enabled cost savings of $700 million a year. After careful analysis of technology and the value chain, Nike identified inbound and operations technology (The Value Chain, NetMBA. com). Technology was a key enabler to analyze and identify excess materials utilized in manufacturing. For example, it was found it took three shoes’ worth of material to produce just two. A complete Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) approach was adopted. BPR is the analysis and design of workflows and processes within an organization (wikipidia. com). Nike outsourced a value chain activity by hiring experts into the process, like Dow DuPont, and BASF. This enabled the company to evaluate and improve its supply system. The result speaks for itself, as identified above. One could suspect that by definition, an Enterprise Resource Planning Software was integrated or modified to identify the shortcomings in Nike’s supply chain (ERP Definition and Solution CIO. com). Mini Case # 3 – Rio Tinto In its quest for sustainability, Rio Tinto’s challenge was to obtain a â€Å"social license† to operate and nurture the local labor force needed by creating operations â€Å"respectful to the environment, respectful of our employees, that is seen to be sustainable,† said CEO Tom Albanese (Fromartz, S. 2009). Within technology and the value system, this called for an emphasis on media relations to disseminate information to the local community and its leaders. Solid communication practices, i. e. strategic communications, was of the utmost importance to gain the respect and acceptance of the population. Perhaps by obtaining the acceptance of the local population, Rio Tinto was able to mitigate any threats from new entrants into the market at the specific location as well; allowing control of one of the five forces that shape industry competition to remain in check. Finally, helping to form the International Council on Mining and Metals should have allowed them strategic power over existing competitors (another of the 5 forces). Mini Case # 4 – General Electric General Electric’s (GE) challenge was to create a new business in sustainability. GE saw profitable business opportunity in helping companies save energy. To mitigate the ‘Rivalry among Existing Competitors’, GE’s focused on bringing new capacity and was still able to produce pressure on prices; mitigating negative price competition. As Porter mentioned: â€Å"Rivalry is especially destructive to profitability if it gravitates solely to price because price competition transfers profits directly form an industry to its customers. (Porter, 2008) From an information technology standpoint, GE concentrated on effectively measuring the amount of energy savings its products can produce and utilized the data as a proof of concept to customers who were interested in obtaining likewise results. This energy savings called Ecoimagination sold solutions within GE and out of GE; resulting in the company’s saving of $100 million and cut of greenhouse-gas effect by 41%. As the proof of concept was accepted and implemented; GE was invested $4 billion and reaped sales of $17 billion in 2008 (Fromartz, S. (2009). Mini Case # 5 – Wal-Mart Creative new ways of supplying products to the customer has enabled Wal-Mart to ‘green the supply chain’, thereby boosting savings and increase profits to enable enduring sustainability. Wal-Mart identified its criteria down into the supply chain on a three stage path (Fromartz, S. (2009). It sourced information to more than 100,000 supplies about their energy and greenhouse-gas emissions. Then, measured their products throughout their life-cycle and finally made it transparent to the customer. It’s focus on a greener product reaped rewards in a more efficient production, less waste and lower emissions. This effort enabled cost-savings to such an extensive degree that Wal-Mart is able to pass on to the customer—enabling the superstore to maintain a competitive edge†¦a strategy for sustainability. Conclusions In conclusion, innovative approaches give companies an edge over competitive forces within the business value chain. Information technology is a key enabler to gather and disseminate information in a timely fashion; enabling key decision makers with crucial information. Therefore, one must realize technology changes constantly and keeping up with its change is continuous improvement process. References CIO. com. ERP (Enterprice Resource Planning) Definition and Solution. Retrieved on January 28, 2012 from http://www. cio. com/article/40323/ERP_ Definition_ and_Solutions Fromartz, S. (2009). The Mini-Cases: 5 Companies, 5 Strategies, 5 Transformations. MITSloan Management Review, Fall 2009, Volume 51, Number 1. NetMBA Business Knowledge Centers. The Value Chain. Retrieved January 28, 2012 from http://www. netmba. com/ strategy/value-chain/ Porter, M. (2008), The Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy. Retrieved January 28, 2012 from http://hbr. Org/2008/01/the-five-competitive-forces-that-shape- Strategy/ar/1 Wikipidia. com. Definition of Business Process Re-engineering (BPR). Retrieved January 28, 2012 from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Business_process_ reengineering

Hunger Games essay Essay

The Hunger Games is a fictional book, which establishes the relationship between the protagonist Katniss, and the protagonist Peeta. Katniss is a 16 year old girl who lives in District twelve, Panem. She is the sole provider for her family and competes in the Hunger Games, a game where two people from each of the twelve districts are chosen to fight to the death. Peeta is a 16 year old boy who is also from District Twelve who competes in the Hunger Games with Katniss. Throughout the book there is great debate on whether Katniss and Peeta are in love, or not in love. Katniss pretends to be in love with Peeta because it helps her in the Games, and it is an act of survival. Peeta on the other hand is deeply in love with Katniss. Throughout the book Katniss often finds herself making multiple references back to her friend, Gale, who has been her best friend for years. She wonders what life would be like with Gale. Katniss pretends to be in love with Peeta. She sees it as her only way of survival in the Games. When she and Peeta are in an affectionate state, the Capitol audience is entertained. This results in her and Peeta getting both food and messages from their mentor Haymitch and their sponsors. Luckily, they entertain the audience enough to survive the games but towards the end of the book Peeta says to Katniss, â€Å"It was all for the games, how you acted. † (Pg. 372) This is legitimate proof that Katniss only pretended to be in love with Peeta. Based on much evidence from the book, it is revealed that Peeta is deeply in love with Katniss. Prior to the beginning of the Games, both Katniss and Peeta had to take part in a pre-game interview. In Peeta’s interview, he tells the audience how winning the games would not help his situation because he is deeply in love with Katniss. Katniss was not happy with Peeta’s statement, but later in the book calmly asks him, â€Å"Peeta, you said at the interview you’d had a crush on me forever. When did forever start? † (Pg. 300) Peeta responded, â€Å"Oh let’s see. I guess the first day of school. We were five. You had on a red plaid dress and your hair†¦ it was in two braids instead of one. My father pointed your out. † (Pg. 300) This is the most heart-felt moment between the two; however Katniss only asked Peeta the question because she knew she had to keep entertaining the audience. Her strategy to manipulate Peeta’s emotions was a great advantage to her game. Katniss often makes references back to her friend Gale, her long time best friend that is back home in District Twelve. She has mixed feelings about him because when Katniss was about to leave for the games, Gale was saying good bye to Katniss and was cut short with the slamming of a door. There are many misinterpretations about what Gale was trying to say to Katniss. Most people, including Katniss, think that he was about to say â€Å"I love you. † This unfinished sentence disturbs Katniss during the games when she has mixed feelings about Peeta. Katniss thinks to herself, â€Å"Gale’s not my boyfriend, but would he be, if I opened that door? † (Pg. 280) Any person who is truly in love would not be thinking about other men in this way. Throughout the Hunger Games there is great talk on whether Katniss and Peeta are in love, or not. Katniss pretends to be in love with Peeta because it helps her in the Games, and she uses it as an act of survival. Peeta on the other hand, is deeply in love with Katniss. During the book Katniss often finds herself making multiple mentions back to her friend, Gale, who has been her best friend and hunting buddy for years. She wonders what life would be like if she was with him. Too conclude, Katniss and Peeta are not meant to be. They have completely different individualities and although it may seem that their pretend love is mutual, it is not.