A Worn Path Essay -- essays research papers

In the story "A Worn Path" the author, Eudora Welty, develops Phoenix Jackson as the main character who indirectly manipulates other people. The author almost makes the reader feel grief for this old lady who had a very rough life. At the same time, readers observe how Phoenix uses her tragic lifetime as a justification to be selfish. In reality Phoenix is an average human being who feels she must be rewarded for living. She is an old Negro woman who has seen a lot in her lifetime. Her lifetime symbolizes the title of the story by informing the reader of some obstacles she has defeated in her "worn path" of a life. One of the biggest events Phoenix has experienced is slavery. All throughout the story there are several incidents that help back up her selfish characteris...

Female Ideals and Their Roles in Icelandic Society Essay -- Iceland Wo

Female Ideals and Their Roles in Icelandic Society Female ideals in medieval Icelandic society revolved around a woman's behavior and actions in her marriage, work, and family domains. The historical background of Icelandic women, women’s general function in society, and the roles of female characters in the Icelandic sagas provide hints towards the common attitude towards women of the time, that is, how women were expected to act, what they were expected to do, and essentially, what the ideal woman was. To examine what an ideal Icelandic woman would have been like, it is first necessary to look at some background information on the life of women in the period. While women were nowhere near the status of men in terms of the amount of power they had, they did enjoy a lot more rights than other women in medieval Europe (Simpson 129). A woman could own her own property (Simpson 128). Being able to manage her own property and refuse a second marriage, widows enjoyed the most independence (Simpson 129). At the same time, there were many things a woman could not do. For example, a woman could not vote at the Thing, be a judge, or conduct her own lawsuit. The approval of a father, husband, or other male guardian was needed for a woman to buy or sell anything above a low value (Simpson 128). While a woman did not have power over other people, especially men, she did have power in her own domestic sphere to make decisions in the household (Dommasnes 71). In her essay "Women, Kinship, and the Basis of Power" Liv Helga Dommasnes states, "As managers of all kinds of farm products, such as food, textiles, and hides, it was in the hands of the wife to see to it that the often quite big household of many generations, serva... ...sible to get a very clear picture of women in Icelandic society through the sagas alone, the coupling of historic background with the sagas provides a clearer image of the ideal woman - strong, confident, married or widowed, loyal to her family, concerned with her family's honor, and an extremely hard worker. 12 Works Cited Dammasnes, Liv Helga. "Women, Kinship, and the Basis of Power." Social Approaches to Viking Studies. Ed. Ross Samson. Glasgow: Cruithne Press, 1991. Jochens, Jenny. Women in Old Norse Society. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1995. Simpson, Jacqueline. The Viking World. New York: St. Martin's Press. 1980. The Sagas of Icelanders. Ed. Thorsson, Ornolfur. New York: Penguin Group, 2000. Sawyer, Birgit and Peter. Medieval Scandinavia: From Conversion to Reformation, circa 800-1500. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1993.

Essay example --

Molecular technology has become the talk of mainstream science and technology today. As the aviation industry searches for new forms of efficient aviation, molecular technology would be the only logical place to start. For this report the various beneficial uses of carbon nanotubes, in form of buckminsterfullerene, will be both discussed and theorized. The infinitesimal molecular structure of carbon 60 has provided a revolutionary solution for flight efficiency and advancement today. Through the use of an experimental material derived from carbon nanotube technology some of flights oldest conjectures will be solved. Manifested in the form of paper like sheets, these carbon molecules have been transformed into a material better known as buckypaper, possessing less than a quarter of steel’s overall weight and ten times its conductivity(Jade Boyd). It’s strong yet lightweight properties could perhaps pave the way for major breakthroughs within the ever critical flight industry today. Introduction Phenomenal leaps in the flight and aviation industry today have caused a state of static ignorance throughout the minds of innovative aviators. What baffles the mind of contemporary aviation today is not the next high speed jet, perhaps soaring some speed close to that of light. What baffles modern aviation today is the creation of an effective yet practical form manpowered flight. With the creation of the combustion and jet engines the dreams once conceived by numerous pioneers of early flight have become the lost fables of history. As a result, the aviation industry today has ultimately failed when searching for better forms flight efficiency. In order to modify the wheel it must first be rebuilt using the most practical and effective m... ...et from destination A to destination B with a cheaper and safer means of affordable flight. Though the general public knows very little about alternative methods of mass production for buckypaper, it will probably become the most prolifically used molecule in aviation sector for many years to come. The general public should expect to see a technological revolution in the future that will make flight cheaper and more affordable. To retrieve any scientific information pertaining to the topic’s progress has currently proven to be a difficult task, partly because there aren’t many published journals pertaining to the topic of buckminsterfullerene. This, however, does not mean research will remain stagnant and future opportunities lost. Buckypaper’s diverse fields of application will redefine the status quo of aviation and technology today once research is complete.

Bread Givers

In this thesis paper I will be analyzing one of the most admired ‘Coming-of-the-Age’ novels, Bread Givers, written by Anzia Yezierska. This is a story of the clashes that every immigrant will have to endure – the invisible interior clashes and, as a direct consequence of them, the visible exterior conflicts. The story revolves around such cultural intricacies that, after completing the reading, it will engage us in a captivating debate on the very psychological infrastructure of human beings and the culture on which it is built.I will subsequently prove that this captivating debate will lead us to one final conclusion – which is the central argument of this work – stated as above in the thesis title. } The fact that America has more number of immigrants than any other part of the world combined, speaks volumes about the kind of peculiarity with which it attracts millions of people from across the globe. In fact throughout the history of America we ca n observe that the waves of immigrants are closely associated with the evolution of this country from the States of America to the United States of America.Since Bread Givers is a semi-autobiographical novel in nature, it becomes imperative that this paper begins the analysis from the author herself. Anzia Yezierska was born in Poland, sometime between 1880 and 1885. Her father was a religious scholar (Talmudic), and the large family, there were eight siblings to Anzia, was supported by the labors of her mother. This Yiddish family migrated to New York around 1890 taking a cue from Anzia’s elder brother Meyer who had migrated to America a few years before and had changed his name to Max Mayer.Here the family changes its family name to Mayer and the young Anzia becomes Hattie Mayer. But later as she grows mature, in her late twenties, she sheds this fictitious name and re-possesses her original name and retains it throughout her life in America. What transpires in her life fro m now on forms the fundamental premise of this novel. Anzia tells the story through the main character Sara Smolinsky. She has three sisters: Bessie, Fania, and Mashah; Shenah is Sara’s mother and Moses (also called Reb Smolinsky) her father – an idle man who spends time by reading Jewish religious/traditional books.Strained Parent-Child Relationships: Immigration Induced or Unfinished Business? The portrayal of strained relationships between parents and their children is one theme of this novel which must be paid due attention and diligent dissection since there exist a number of instances which make it esoteric to understand as to what causes what effect. In the novel the family head, Mr. Reb Smolinsky, is an idle man who never earns livelihood for his children and his wife Mrs. Smolinsky (Shenah) is a truly orthodox and docile woman who is in complete trepidation of her husband’s holy knowledge.In between such parents we find these four daughters struggling e very second of their life to attain happiness and to lead an independent life. Sara is un-equivocal about the harsh constraints that her father has placed on her elder sisters (and later on herself) and how ‘religiously’ he had crushed their dreams, and made them work harder and harder. The novel opens with a grim scene which Sara narrates thus: â€Å"I HAD just begun to peel the potatoes for dinner when my oldest sister Bessie came in, her eyes far away and very tired.She dropped on the bench by the sink and turned her head to the wall. One look at her, and I knew she had not yet found work. I went on peeling the potatoes, but I no more knew what my hands were doing. I felt only the dark hurt of her weary eyes. † (Anzia Yezierska; Bread Givers; Chapter I: Hester Street; Page 1) Even though it is quite convenient to assert that the immigration’s uprooting effects and impacts as the reasons behind such strained parent-children relations, but I do not agree with this.Justifications for my dissent galore through the length and the breadth of the novel. For example consider the instances of Bessie and Mashah’s romantic aspirations and how her father destroys them without even paying slightest of slight respect to the innocent desires and the natural right of an individual. Read what a downhearted and flabbergasted Bessie says: â€Å"I know I’m a fool. But I cannot help it. I haven’t the courage to live for myself. My own life is knocked out of me. No wonder Father called me the burden bearer†.(Anzia Yezierska; Bread Givers; Chapter-III: The Burden Bearer; Page 52, 53). As a consequence of these broken love affairs and their subsequent failed marriages (arranged by their father Mr. Smolinsky), these women suffer the bearings all along their life. Now, what’s the role of immigration here? Mr. Smolinsky would have confiscated his daughters in Poland as well because it is precisely in the pursuit of those s acred Jewish scriptures for which he devoted his life not even bothering to earn a livelihood for his family and then forcing his daughters to earn for him.Therefore, rather than the impact of immigration, it is the ‘unfinished businesses’ (psychologically) which strain the relationship between the children and their parents. Sara’s Conflicts – Culture of America & Shtetl at the Turn of the 20th Century: The differences between American culture and that of the Shtetl at the turn of 20th century help us to understand the conflicts between Sara and her father Mr. Smolinsky. While Mr. Smolinsky is a representative of old, orthodox genus, Sara belongs to the new, liberal kind of genre.Her father believes in the rule of the Jewish divine scriptures, but Sara discards his concerns for store decisions with utter disdain. She opposes him for his every authoritarian decisions and the ruthless way in which he used to enforce his thoughts and beliefs onto his daughte rs. Deeply immersed in his world of the exploration of Torah, Mr. Smolinsky contentiously disregards his outer world – a practical world of joys and sorrows. When Sara rejects the marriage proposal with Mr. Max Goldstein, the words in which her father Mr. Smolinsky slates her confirm his conformist view about life.He says: â€Å"It says in the Torah: What’s a woman without a man? Less than nothing – A blotted out existence. No life on earth and no hope in heaven. † (Anzia Yezierska; Bread Givers; Chapter-XV: On and On – Alone; Page 202). In deep contrast to such Jewish outlandish beliefs, the dawn of 20th century brought ‘classical liberalism’ with it which heralded the individual liberty as the ideal upon which the societies and governments must thrive. Sara clearly acts as a fitting envoy of this liberal living. These conflicts can be traced to the Shtetl Culture and the historical importance of them for Jews.Joshua Rothenberg says: â€Å"I am, of course, suggesting that the larger Jewish communities and not the shtetlekh were in all periods the real centers of Jewish culture in Eastern Europe. It is relatively simple to classify the Jewish communities which became centers of Jewish culture: they were called Ir eo-Eim im Be-Yisroel (Town and Mother in Israel), and were so designated in documents and writings of the respective periods of history. The term â€Å"shtetl culture† is therefore used incorrectly; the correct term should be â€Å"Eastern European Jewish culture.† (â€Å"Demythologizing the Shtetl† in Midstream (March 1981): 25-31). These words differentiate between the absolute nature of Shtetl Culture and its influence on the Jewish families. However, the up rise of liberalism in the US ensured that individual rights remain the prime concern for the society. Mr. Smolinsky's Personality Traits/Values and Sara’s Quandaries: An interesting element of the novel is that despite being a loud opponent of her father’s beliefs, towards the end of the novel Sara starts feeling in a parallel direction as regards to his thoughts.When she understands that she can’t be completely happy unless she finds a man, Sara equates this state of hers with what her father had told her when she declined to marry Mr. Goldstein. By the time Sara reaches a stage in life when everything she had dreamt has come true, she realizes that her once sturdy father has become fragile. Her mother is on the deathbed and she has one last wish that Sara should take care of her father who is alone and weak. By this time Sara has fallen in love with Hugo Seelig – a school principal.The internal conflict of Sara makes her feel the guilt of failing her mother in life and this guilt brings about a major shift in her thoughts when she decides to take care of her once despotic father. It seems as though she has reached the point from where she started her voyage towards finding her own identity and freedom. She says in the last line of the novel: I felt the shadow still there, over me. It wasn’t just my father, but the generations who made my father whose weight was still upon me†. (Anzia Yezierska; Bread Givers; Chapter-XXI: Man Born of Woman; Page 281).Hence the psychological quandaries of Sara propel her towards that state where she discovers, rather unwillingly, that she carries the same kind of flame which had kept her father aloof and immersed in exploring the Torah. Eventually, Sara realizes that her reconciliation with her father completes the unfinished business of the relation between a father and a daughter. We finally conclude that immigration has complex and deep cultural impacts and these impacts can’t be substituted by instant transition into the new culture. As we have seen in Sara’s life, she attained the state of completeness only after reconciling with her father.In other words reuniting with her past culture, and only in that she found solace of her life, of all her rebellions and her adventures of life. With this point, it follows that my thesis statement declared above stands proven right. Works Cited Anzia Yezierska; Bread Givers; Chapter I: Hester Street; Page 1 Anzia Yezierska; Bread Givers; Chapter-III: The Burden Bearer; Page 52, 53 Anzia Yezierska; Bread Givers; Chapter-XV: On and On – Alone; Page 202 Joshua Rothenberg; â€Å"Demythologizing the Shtetl† in Midstream (March 1981): 25-31 Anzia Yezierska; Bread Givers; Chapter-XXI: Man Born of Woman; Page 281

Principles of Education

Theoretical and practical teaching and learning are the fundamental aspects of education. Since the early 20th century, education has been an essential part of nursing (Bastable 2008). Nurse educators encounter a diversity of learning styles and are challenged when needed to develop and adapt their teaching methods to accommodate students learning (Arthurs 2007). Mentors have a responsibility to assist the student within practice, building upon the students level of training (Kinnell and Hughes 2010). This essay will discuss the importance of the nurses role in relation to teaching both students and patients and will critically evaluate the literature used to build a lesson plan (Appendix 2) whilst discussing the process of learning and teaching. An important role of the nurse since the mid-1800s has been the responsibility of teaching. Educating other nurses for professional practice and promoting health were included. Florence Nightingale, the ultimate educator, influenced the nurse’s role to include educating families, patients and colleagues (Glanville 2000). Tilley et al (2006), states that by the 1900s the importance of the nurse as teacher was understood as preventing disease and promoting health. The National Midwifery Council (NMC) has for years put forth statements on the functions, standards, and qualifications for nursing practice. Patient teaching and the nurse’s role as educator to colleagues and student nurses are key elements (NMC 2002). Obtaining formal preparation in the principles of teaching and learning is an important part as there is much knowledge and skill to be acquired as educator with efficiency and effectiveness. A learner cannot be made to learn, but an effective approach in educating others is to actively involve learners in the education process. † (Bodenheimer et al. 2002 cited in Bastable 2008: 13). By working as a team a partnership philosophy should allow the nurse’s role as teacher of patients, families and students to be obtainable. A growing body of evidence suggests that effective education and learner participation go hand in hand. The nurse should act as a facilitator, creating an environment conducive to learning that motivates individuals to want to learn (Arthurs 007). Nurse educators encounter a variety of learning styles when faced with prospective nurses. Nursing students will have a variable age group with younger students possibly unaware of their learning styles as well as mature students who may be rooted in one way of learning (Arthurs 2007). Nursing education being primarily clinically focused results in limited knowledge of teaching strategies causing challenges for the nurse educator, this mix can lead to student and teacher frustration with poor academic performance among nursing students. Dunn and Griggs (2000) argue that teaching styles more closely aligned to a variety of adult learners will promote retention and application of new knowledge, these factors were taken into account when designing appendix 2. Blooms Taxonomy (1956 cited in Moseley et al. 2005: 102) is a system that describes, identifies and classifies three domains of learning – cognitive, affective and psychomotor. These domains are used for the development of instructional objectives and learning outcomes (Appendix 1), the first steps in the development of appendix 2. These steps identify what is expected as a result of the students learning experience (Connolly and DeYoung 2004). Airasian (2001) argues that objectives limit the learning experience and does not expose the student to further their knowledge. Gronlund (2000) explains that the need to clearly communicate the teacher’s expectations to the students, specifying what a student should know and be able to do at the end of the session is the most important part. These points guided the learning objectives of appendix 1 aiming to allow the student to strive to achieve their own personal best in order to enhance the learning experience. Reece and Walker (2000) believed that a lesson plan is designed to help teachers proceed with a lesson logically. Can every possibility be provided for? Surely a lesson plan has to be tentative and accommodating allowing substitute teachers to follow if necessary. Therefore it is only a step by step guide with estimation of time, questioning and probability, however needs to retain adequate content in order to be followed and understood. Fleming and Mill’s learning framework typology (Nilson 2003) reflects learning in a physical sense of visual, auditory, read/write and kinaesthetic preferences. Visual learners rely upon sight for their learning needs, such as presentations, diagrams and pictures with the use of colour to enhance knowledge retention (Susskind 2005). Nilson (2003) explains that the auditory learner prefers information to be explained and benefit from verbal presentations such as lectures and discussions. Students with preference of reading or writing benefit from well-structured textbooks in order to understand new information. In contrast to this type of learning the kinaesthetic learner usually has excellent eye-hand-mind coordination valuing practical information with active involvement (Nilson 2003). The lesson plan of Appendix 2 is structured to accommodate varied learning styles and planned towards delivering a variety of teaching strategies helping the student retain and learn. The wide range of learning styles represented in a large group of nursing students makes a single type teaching strategy ineffective for some of the class (Arthurs 2007). Appendix 2 allows for Visual learning through the use of diagrams and direct observation of role play, Auditory learning by a power point presentation and discussion on own experiences, Reading/Writing learners gain from the use of hand outs with limited information encouraging further reading as well as a textbook style informative diagram with rational. Kinesthetic learning is accommodated by the use of a practical section for the clinical skill. Nilson (2003) distinguished that individuals only retain 10-20% of what they hear, by including visual material to the presentation this can increase by 50%. Speaking involves active cognition as well as hearing and can increase recall to 80%, by combining speaking and applied methods retention increases to 90%. Producing a lesson plan to teach in auditory, visual and experimental modes is important, increasing the successfulness of a session by allowing individuals a variety of learning styles enhancing the storage of the material to 97% (Knowels, Holton III and Swanson 2008). Learning to accommodate a range of learning styles will improve retention of intricate information for both student and patient (Arthurs 2007). However this could be argued that this is time intensive to design. Time is a premium for the nurse, it may be unrealistic to have time to design lesson plans that accommodate all learning styles present in large classes, Appendix 2 is applicable to a small class of 10-12 students, and would not work in a large lecture theatre of over 100 due to the structure. Information may only be taught through lectures due to time constraints requiring the student to further the topic at home. It is therefore imperative that the environment, and number of students is assessed in onjunction with a lesson plan otherwise these variables could result in an unsuccessful teaching session. When teaching a patient, the approach will change, however styles will remain similar. A patient will always learn best from a one to one short session that is informative with use of written sources such leaflets allowing the information to be kept by the patient for further reference. Hands on or observation experi ence is also an excellent form to teach a patient (Quinn 2000). The success of a one to one session with a patient or family relative will rely deeply on interpersonal skills. The pace of the teaching has to be judged carefully to ensure that the patient is keeping up, and the atmosphere needs to be informal and relaxed. Factors that might affect patients or students' ability and readiness to learn could include physical issues, psychological or emotional issues, and difficulties with cognition or the environment. Appendix 3 identifies a range of common expectations that are appropriate to nurse education students and contrasts these with a patient. There will be variations within the two learners, however the information will be valid for both. It is designed to ensure that nurse educators clearly understand the importance of assumptions towards learners (Quinn 2000). In reference to Appendix 4 different teaching methods would be used to manage the learning styles required by the patient and that of the student. Mrs Helen would need a substantial about of teaching and guidance in order to continue with her oral care and understand the importance of oral hygiene (Rosdahl and Kowalski 2008). This information would need to be informal, sensitive, and professional, working at the level of knowledge the patient comprehends, allowing Mrs Helen to understand through Visual learning with the use of leaflets and diagrams, Auditory through the giving of information and Kinesthetic through demonstration. As a mentor the nurse would teach the student through direct observation, possible contribution to the teaching of skills, followed by questioning and further research to develop the students’ knowledge (Kinnell and Hughes 2010) allowing for Visual, Auditory and Kinesthetic student learning. It is important to be able to consider and address your own learning needs in order to meet the needs of others in practice. Education is an important aspect of nursing, attaining the skills required for learning and teaching something new within the profession every day is vital as research and technology is always progressing. Key differences in the ways of approaching teaching within nursing include adoption of either a nurse focused approach or a patient focused approach (Forbes 2010). Without the correct understanding of learning styles the correct teaching strategy cannot be adopted which could result in poor education, misunderstood information retained by a student which could be passed onto a patient. Adopting patient focused approaches to nursing will allow the nurse educator to adapt to the teaching style necessary for the patient, ensuing exceptional guidance, support and education. Without this educating structure within the Nursing Programme, student nurses would not be prepared for the practice setting of communication, demonstration and most importantly continual education and teaching.

Marketing Analysis of GOD Essay

Company Description: GOD is now a fast-growing furniture and furnishings company brand in Hong Kong. They describe them as â€Å"More Than Just a Furniture Store†. GOD is the phonetic sound of the Cantonese slang â€Å"to live better† which a basic human desire all around the world. The founder of GOD – Douglas Young and Benjamin Lau opened the first GOD store at Ap Lei Chau in 1996. Within 2 years, two more shops opened in Central and Tsim Sha Tsui respectively. In 2001, GOD has opened a 20,000 sq.ft. flagship store in Causeway Bay. The mission of GOD has always been â€Å"to define a new Hong Kong identity† – by exploring age-old oriental traditions and updating them with modern consumers in mind, their demonstrations of the techniques and wisdom of past generations in the east still has a place in the future world. Most of the furniture of GOD is made in China to their stringent standards of quality and workmanship. Their products range from furniture, bathware, kitchenware to even lighting and carpets. Among these various products, furniture occupies the highest proportion of sales revenues. What makes GOD different from other convectional furniture and furnishing company is that all of their furniture is designed by local designers. The company is strongly against today’s mass produced and soulless products. The main theme of their furniture is creative, comfortable, and multifunctional. In order to surprise their customers, GOD constantly turns out new items on a weekly basis. Because the marketing strategy in GOD is so clear that make the company become one of the few furniture companies that can still make a profit, and even expand their business, in the time of economy downturn in HK these years. Situation Analysis: 1. SWOT Analysis: Internally, GOD has a management team with designing knowledge which could perfectly apply to the daily management in the company. Small size of management team also benefits the company with the efficient division of  labor. Despite the fact of having numerous competitors with lower price, G.O.D. is still taking the leading role in the industry with its unique offerings of the oriental tradition Asian design in products, as well as the extraordinary decoration in each branch . G.OD is expanding its market share by connecting to other different industries, so as to attract more customers from different aspects. The diversification of production and also the â€Å"custom made† strategy contribute to the company as it prevent excess inventory. Moreover, its own R&D team takes a big responsibility in fulfilling the demand of the customers in having a better quality. Other than all those favorable circumstances, G.OD is still encountering certain weaknesses. Due to the short history of establishment, G.O.D. is lack of experience and specialization. Its relatively high price and narrow choice of products has also prevented the visit and purchase of customers. Also, due to the limited capital inflow in the company, GOD is still not able to develop a large R&D team; it also regards advertisement as a big burden for the company. Regardless of the success of the manufacturing approach, it, on the other hand, has lead to the high cost of production as it could not achieve the economy of scale. Favorable external factors include the increasing upscale market which people are more concerned about quality of life, there are only few and not well-established local competitors, and as the economic is recovering, there are more opportunities. Ergonomics is one of the most popular topics in furniture industry because the customer’s perceived value can be raised by introducing it. Unfavorable external factors include the taste of customers which people like international culture more, like Japan. In addition, the favorable investment condition attracts competitor from foreign countries. 2. Industry analysis: The furniture and furnishing industry has a long history in Hong Kong. It includes the production of household, office and furniture, as well as  bedding and parts of furniture. There are 249 furniture manufacturers in Hong Kong, employing more than 704 people as at Sep 2002. Around 90% of them are small companies engaging less than 10 people . Although it is not the major industry in the local market, the competition is very keen. In terms of market segmentation, the current furniture industry in Hong Kong is generally divided into three main categories: high-end, middle-end and lower-end market. However, in the past, the craft-based, labor-intensive furniture industry was one of the oldest industries in Hong Kong. It was developed to meet local demands. At that time, the furniture industry was dominated by a large number of small firms and could be divided into three major sectors, namely, wooden furniture, rattan furniture and metal furniture . After the economic crisis in 1998, many small companies went bankrupt and customers’ incentive on buying furniture was lower. To maintain their competitive power, many large companies strive to reduce their costs and increase their efficiency. Some relocate their manufacturing operations to other areas with lower operation costs like Mainland China. Foreign manufacturers are taking steps to strengthen their domestic production through production specialization. Hong Kong’s furniture makers also start to establish their own brands and some concept stores in order to develop their unique product lines to differentiate their firms from the others. Companies like GOD and Franc Franc are the most apparent examples which produce products with Hong Kong local characteristics and Japanese culture respectively. Recently, due to the economic recovery and the change of customer trend, people are going to be responsive to the new trends and design of furniture. Thus, the industry is going to produce products to cater the needs of Hong Kong people. Also, many furniture manufacturers become more careful about the choice of raw materials to meet international standards, such as compliance with legal or other environmental requirements in their target markets. Because of the limited living space in Hong Kong, the industry produces the furniture which is highly practical and multi- functional. Moreover, most of them embrace innovative designs and combinations of furnishings which allow them to save home spaces and provide a sense of style and modernism. To cater the growing trend and design of furniture which correspond to their taste and lifestyle, the industry produces DIY furniture which can let consumers to make their ‘unique’ furniture with their own styles. Moreover, most of them are made of the environmental friendly materials for production. 3. Competitor Analysis: Competitors in relevant market: There are three main competitors of GOD in Hong Kong, accordingly Franc Franc, IKEA and PRICERITE. Their target market segments do not necessarily the same but do have some overlapping as they both target on the market segments of middle-income level families. Further, the mission of their competitors also stress on developing a new concept of life style to Hong Kong people. Franc Franc’s company would invest over 30 million dollars in Hong Kong and expect there will be 36 million HK dollars gross profit in the first year. There will also be 2 or 3 new branches opened in the next few years. They will be mainly located in some big shopping malls. IKEA have 4 branches in Hong Kong mainly located near big housing town. IKEA is the most well known furniture company in Hong Kong due to the massive advertising programs. The concepts of their design are simple, multi-functional and sustainable. They also have a successful and well-developed customer service system which helps them to develop the loyalty of their customers. PRICERITE’s target group mainly focuses on lower income families. They  provide a relatively low price to their customers, thus helping them to develop a low cost, comfortable and multifunctional living environment. They have over 45 branches in Hong Kong so as consumers can easily find a PRICERITE nearby. Comparative advantages: 1. GOD—Uniqueness of local culture In these years, many industries especially those expose frequently to young people like filmdom and musical industry, advocate local original design and innovation. This atmosphere makes young people create a good feeling to Hong Kong local products. Today, GOD is the unique furniture store with strong â€Å"Hong Kong† concept. What Hong Kong concept here means is Hong Kong’s own culture and social atmosphere. GOD is a local brand and all of their exclusive designers are local. GOD claims their products have â€Å"soul† because their products can turn out local people’s opinion and attitude to lives. It can attract a group of Hong Kong new generation who like to show off their characters and tastes by their home furniture . 2. Franc Franc—Adhere to Japanese-styled goods The trend in Japan always is a benchmark for the young people in Hong Kong. It is because the young people in Hong Kong think Japanese always stand on the tips of the trend. Thus, most of them are adherent to Japanese-styled goods. Many Japanese brands like Fancl and Sanrio have successfully developed their business in Hong Kong. Their successes are also based on this reason. Franc Franc is the sole furniture concept store with Japanese style in Hong Kong. This make it exclusively enjoys the adherent from Hong Kong young people in this market . 3. IKEA—Cost Leadership To provide goods with high quality at relatively low prices, IKEA drives tough bargains with its suppliers in order to employ lowest cost suppliers  of raw and semi-finished goods from all over the world. IKEA Also, their products developers seek out manufacturers who can produce in the most cost-effective way and designers always work with solutions that result in a low price. This cost-focused supply chain model results in getting the goods with cheapest price and good quality.

Apple’s Success, Service and Innovations

CASE: â€Å"The Success of the iPod and iPhone raises the licensing question for Apple†¦. Again† 1. Use the Cyclic Innovation Model figure to illustrate the innovation process in this case and provide a brief description? Apple started in 1977 when it’s first personal computer was designed by Steven Jobs and Steven Wozniak. The thing that was different about the Apple Macintosh personal computer was that it used a mouse driven operating system, which was not being used by other computers at the time.Microsoft were using a Microsoft Disc Operating System, which they licensed to all other PC manufacturers, Apple refused to do this which limited it to only people who bought Apple computers, this led to Apple’s shares falling significantly. Although Apple had an arguably better operating system they were losing in the market, because Microsoft licensed other manufacturers to use their operating system it became the common household system. This stubbornness alth ough at the time seen to be foolish at the time, has helped with their success today (Trott, P 2012).Apple’s technological research over time (and the return of Steven Jobs) led to the creation of the iPod. In 2001 the iPod was launched, from 2003 the sales of the iPod heavily increased, generating massive profits for Apple, and giving the brand more exposure. To help Apple deal with the market competitors they kept improving and modifying the iPod, whilst still being able to lower its price. They did this by making modified versions such as the iPod Shuffle, and upgrading other models. Apple has continued to upgrade and invent new products to keep its customers and attract new ones.This has been done through the iMac, iPod, iPad and iPhone, adding new technological features, such as giving phones other multipurpose uses such as an iPod substitute as well as the invention of the ‘apps store’. Their technological developments to make these products do all sorts of amazing new things has given them a huge upper hand in the market (Trott, P 2012). Apple have made a positive shift in the market transition since they first started, from the debut of the Apple Macintosh in 1976 at the Homebrew Computer Club which was barely taken seriously.To now where the release of the iPad which was criticized for being too big for an iPhone but too small for a laptop which has made considerable profit, is astounding. The brand image they have built is superior to any other technological brand in the market, in my opinion. 2. With Sales of iPod falling and Apple facing fierce competition from all quarters such as Sony, Dell, Samsung and other electronics firms as well as mobile phone makers who are incorporating MP3 players into their devices, can the iPod survive?The iPod has become the standardized form of MP3 players in the market, taking up 50% of market share in the MP3 market (Trott, P 2012). Although Apple has recorded a fall in iPod sales in recent yea rs, they have been substituted for other apple products which have had a huge increase in sales such as the iPhone which is commonly used as an MP3 player. Other companies have tried making and matching and bettering the iPod with their own MP3 players but have been unsuccessful in knocking off the number 1 MP3 player of the decade.Apples brand is so strong in that market with so many different versions of the iPod, making them an affordable and safe choice when choosing an MP3 player. Still competitors will keep trying to better the iPod through MP3 technology in their own devices, the iPod will have to keep on improving if it wants to keep the upper hand in the market. To keep their spot Apple with have to keep improving the quality and technology of their iPod and keep its sleek original design, while still keeping the prices competitive with other brands.Even newer technology will need to be presented by Apple if it wants to keep MP3 market shares high, futuristic technology wil l have to be designed possibly holograms technology and increasing the uses that the iPod MP3 already has. Although I believe it is inevitable that iPods and MP3 players will soon be a very small market in today’s society with so many other devices having the same technology plus more, that is still a fair while away and more profit is definitely yet to be made through the iPod.New fashionable unique covers can make the iPods more attractive to consumers, as well as all the accessories; such as jogging/fitness straps to hold them while the consumer participates in physical activity. Also upgrading the headphone design so it sits in more comfortably. I think some kind of hologram technology will become evident in the future of the mobile phone or iPod technology. Also a backup storage where the whole device is always backed up to a computer device so absolutely nothing is lost if a phone breaks, or is lost. 3.How can Apple influence future technology developments or establish strategic alliances to ensure it is a dominant force in the hand-held device that will incorporate both the cellphone and the MP3 player? Apple must continue to maintain a positive and trusting strategic alliance with other companies in the future to ensure that their plans for future technologies aren’t leaked, or copied. If they are able to create that kind of a strategic alliance, and with a major technical company (e. g. HP) they could create some mind blowing new technology in the future.The possibilities if Apple were able to team up with a technology giant could mean massive $$ for both companies, and new technology which could come out of that type of alliance could set the standards for the next generation of the industry. With the ability Apple have to keep upgrading and improving their products this would give them a huge advantage over their competitors. However for now, Apple must make sure they maintain their brand image, as the producers of the newest and best technology.The only way they will be able to do this is by keep upgrading their current products, while they wait for new technology’s to be developed. They must also keep designing new and upgraded products, so when new generation technology’s become available, people look to buy their product first. This will help keep them as a dominant force in the future hand-held device of MP3, cellphone industry. References: Trott, paul. 2012 innovation management and new product development 5th edition. prentice hall/pearson