Examples Of Utopia In The Handmaids Tale - 1246 Words

A Utopian Dystopia the Handmaids Tale Hello, and good morning today’s date is October 18 and my name is Zainab Bahia and this is my Individual Oral Presentation on The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood. When The Handmaid’s Tale was published in 1985, the world’s search for a utopia had failed, resulting in some of the most disastrous social experimentations in the history of humankind, much like Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany. Dystopia flourished and took on a new importance as technology gave rise to supervision and monitoring concerns, unheard of before the 20th century. With an increasingly disintegrated society, the quick fix that utopias promoted became more impossible, and readers began to look for warnings. The focus of todays†¦show more content†¦This symbolism rats in mazes think they are free because they can move about, when in reality, they are trapped. They are unaware that they are in a maze, they consider themselves free. Similarly, the handmaids are free to go anywhere within town that they want, as long as they stay within the boundaries or their own maze. They do not have any desire to go elsewhere, and future generations will believe this is freedom, because this is what they will have been told all their lives The next Utopian idea that will be discussed is â€Å"Citizens have no fear of the outside world†. However, within the novel it is seen that this is not the case but, that the characters are afraid of the outside world in this scene at the end of the novel and it reads â€Å"Whether this is my end or a new beginning I have no way of knowing: I have given myself over into the hands of strangers, because it can’t be helped.† (Atwood, 195). The essence of this emphasizes that the fear they have for the outside world is due to the lack of knowledge and exposure of what is to come. Whether they are in the hands of the Eyes or being watched by Mayday. Another Utopian idea to examine is â€Å"Individuality and Innovation are welcome†. It is stated within The Handmaids Tale that women are not allowed to read and write all they are to do is bare children and care for the home.Show MoreRelatedThe And The Handmaid s Tale By Margaret Atwood1260 Words   |  6 Pagesproperty in order to ensure citizens follow the government’s revolutionary and oppressive rhetoric. Hence, this paper explores the role of property in two of the most well known fundamentalist societies in literature history: Utopia by Sir Thomas More, and The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. Both authors acknowledge that property represents a significant threat to governments that aim to have an equal society where every citizen contributes to the well being of the nation. Thus, property is restrictedRead MoreSummary Of Feminism In The Handmaids Tale724 Words   |  3 Pagescriticizing religious conservative politics. Writer, Fiona Tolan analyzes Atwood’s work more in depth in â€Å"Feminist Utopias and Questions of Liberty: Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale as Critique of â€Å"second wave feminism†. In this academic journal, Tolan argues that The Handmaid’s Tale is criticism to â€Å"second wave feminism†. She states the Aunts, Serena Joy, and Offred’s mom as examples of second wave feminist who believe transitioning into Gilead is right for women. She criticizes that this is theRead MoreThe Handmaids Tale As A Dystopian Society1207 Words   |  5 PagesIn The Handmaid’s Tale, the author, Margaret Atwood, creates a dystopian society that is under theocratic rule. From this theocracy, each individual’s freedom is, for the most part, taken away. The Handmaid’s Tale creates a dystopia by placing restrictions on the individual’s freedom, using propaganda to control its citizens, and by having citizens of Gilead live i n dehumanized ways. Furthermore, the creation of a hierarchal system in Gilead caused its citizens to lose the ability to feel empathyRead MoreHandmaids Tale-Dystopian Literarture1579 Words   |  7 PagesThe Handmaid’s Tale-Dystopian Literary Tradition Dystopia is defined as being a society characterized by human misery, as squalor, oppression, disease, and overcrowding. Dystopian is also considered to be about futuristic societies that have degraded into repressed and controlled states. Dystopian literature uses cautionary tones warning us that if we continue to live the way we do, this can be the consequence. A Dystopia is contrary of a utopia (a world where everything is perfect) and often characterizedRead MoreElements of the Authors World Present in Utopian Fiction Essay1796 Words   |  8 Pageseffort to make society realize its faults. Thomas Mores Utopia is similar to Erewhon because it makes commentary on certain social issues of his time, disguised as a story about a different culture. George Orwells 1984 and Margaret Atwoods The Handmaids Tale were also written based on the societies in which the authors lived, but these stories take place in the same society at a different time, so they serve more as cautionary tales than social commentary. Erewhon satirizes many aspectsRead MoreA Utopian world is impossible to create because nature would not allow it. Shakespeare’s play shows700 Words   |  3 Pagesconflicts to occur because imperfection is key to perfection. A Utopian society only revolves in a persons mind. A person might think of a Utopian Society to escape their situation but they do not look at the disadvantages, let us take killing, for example in a Utopian world, killing someone is illegal. If we do not kill anyone, how are we going to find food to keep ourselves alive? We have to kill. Negative aspects of humanity’s basic nature are jealousy, greed and revenge that would always interruptRead MoreMargaret Atwood s The Handmaid s Tale Essay1724 Words   |  7 Pageswoman’s sole purpose for being alive is her functioning uterus. If that woman fails to bear a child she can be killed. If that woman disregards the law she can be tortured, or even terminated. In the dystopian future of Marga ret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale women’s bodies are used as political instruments. Because if the harmful pollution in the United States, a new Constitution has been made to address and correct the decline in birth rates. To do this the government has created Handmaids. Read MoreThe Handmaids Tale Feminism Essay1465 Words   |  6 PagesMargaret Atwood’s 1985 novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, is undoubtedly a staple piece when considering feminism in literature. While most works might take a firm stand on one side or the other when considering feminism, The Handmaid’s Tale approaches the subject differently; instead of establishing an ironclad position either supporting or condemning feminist ideals, Atwood’s novel showcases both ends of a spectrum concerning the advantages and disadvantages of such a movement in a democratic-turned-totalitarianRead MoreMargaret Atwood s The Handmaid s Tale Essay1309 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Better never means better for everyone, he says. It always means worse, for some† (Atwood 211). Almost all attempts at a utopia eventually evolve into a dystopia because of the class that ends up being oppressed. In Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, this is exactly the case, and the oppressed caste is the handmaids. The United States has been transformed into The Republic of Gilead. This change was stimulated by the increase in rape and violence against women, as well as the dropping fertilityRead MoreTo What Extent Can â€Å"the Handmaid’s Tale† and â€Å"the Scarlet Letter† Be Described as Works of Dystopian Fiction?2086 Words   |  9 PagesTo What Extent Can â€Å"The Handmaid’s Tale† and â€Å"The Scarlet Letter† be Described as Works of Dystopian Fiction? The definition of Dystopia is an imaginary place where the inhabitants are exploited and control is maintained through oppression. Both â€Å"The Scarlet Letter† and â€Å"The Handmaid’s Tale† reflect characteristics of a dystopian novel. A dystopian novel is usually fictional and futuristic to the time in which it was written. The characters are made to worship a concept or figure as a way of control

Silent Features Of Developing A China Pakistan Economic...

Silent features of CPEC: The idea of developing a china Pakistan economic corridor (CPEC) was visualized by the Chinese premier Li Keqiang during his visit to Pakistan in May 2013, found a proper shape in the present visit of the president Xi.The proposed economic corridor will connect the north-western Chinese province of Xijiang through the network of roads measuring around 3000 km (Xinhua Net). The economic corridor will link China’s underdeveloped far western region to Pakistan ‘s Gawader deep-sea port on the Arabian sea via Pok through a massive and complex networks of roads,railways,business zones, energy scheme and pipelines.(Rediff News)) Chinese Government will support and finance Chinese Companies, to build $45.6 billion worth of energy and infrastructure project is part of CPEC and $33.8billions in energy and $ 11.8billions infrastructure will be completed in 2017 and deal includes $622 million for Gwadar port. According to CPEC agreement $15.5 billion worth of coal, wind ,solar and hydro energy project will add 10,400 megawatt of energy to the national grade of Pakistan.(Reuter:21 November 2014. This project will provide Pakistan telecommunication and energy infrastructure and aim to improve intelligence sharing between both countries. China Government will also give grant to Pakistan in order to construct a new international airport in Gwadar and will be operational by December 2017.CPEC project upgrades transportation infrastructure, railway system, roads,

Business Strategy Simulation Analysis Free Essays

The actions build into my strategic plan to achieve competitive success with my strategy were to: 1. Offer a wide variety of products in order to give consumers more choices and appeal to the diverse preferences of a larger consumer base. This was to be accomplished by increasing the number of models produced at both the North American (NA) and Asia-Pacific (AP) plants for sale in the internet and wholesale segments in all four regions. We will write a custom essay sample on Business Strategy Simulation Analysis or any similar topic only for you Order Now 2. Offer attractive, high-quality products that will hold up to wear and tear in order to provide consumers with increased value. This was to be achieved by using a higher percentage of superior materials versus standard materials for production, incorporating more enhanced styling features into the products, and investing heavily in Six Sigma/TQM programs to improve the quality of the workmanship that went into the products and to reduce the number of defects. 3. Offer products at a price that is reasonable and considerably lower than that of rivals offering shoes of similar style and quality. This was to be accomplished by managing production costs and  setting a lower profit margin. To manage production costs, the majority of the products were to be produced at the AP plant and shipped to the other regions. Due to the lower production costs at the AP plant, the company would still be able to achieve the target profit margin even with the additional costs of shipping the products to the other regions. Since the costs of production in the NA plant were significantly higher, the additional costs of shipping to the other regions would not allow the company to offer the products at the lower cost. Therefore, most of the product from the NA plant were to be sold in that region to avoid the additional shipping costs. Additionally, production costs were to be managed by increasing the number of products produced per employee and reducing the number of rejects through investment in best practices training, higher base wages, and increased incentive pay to the employees for improved and increased production. The selling price for each product was to be kept the same and increase only slightly each year in order to increase and maintain a loyal customer base through consistently reasonable pricing. The actions built into my strategic plan to achieve financial success with my strategy were to: 1. Reduce production costs through improved efficiency of operations. This would be accomplished by investing heavily in Six Sigma/TQM programs in order to improve the quality of workmanship that went into every product. Better quality production reduces the likelihood that customers will end up with defective, low-quality products that could severely damage the company’s image. Additionally, by investing in best practices training for the employees and offering higher base wages and incentive pay, the plan was to increase the number of products produced per employee and reduce the number of units ultimately rejected. Increasing employee production allows the company to create more product with the same amount of resources and improving the quality of their work reduces the amount of resources wasted on rejected units. 2. Take a conservative approach in financing operations. This was to be achieved by reducing the amount of debt and not taking any unnecessary financial risks. To reduce the amount of debt, the plan was to have the company pay off loans early in order to save monthly interest expenses. To avoid taking financial risks, the company was to use financial resources to improve the capacity and performance of the existing NA and AP  plants rather than invest in new plants in other regions. The other objective of these action plans was to increase the company’s financial rating so that future financing could be obtained at reduced interest rates should the need arise to finance the construction of a new plant. †¢ Why you selected the strategy you used The reason I selected the Best-Cost Provider Strategy for Kix Footwear was two-fold. First, the competitive strategy of offering a wide variety of attractive, high-quality shoes was based on what consumers, such as myself, would like to see from a shoe manufacturer. As a middle-income consumer, I work hard to earn the money I have and my disposable income is limited. When I shop for shoes I want to have a variety of shoes to choose from that are well-made and will last without sacrificing style or having to secure a loan to purchase them. The large majority of consumers are also middle-income and I wanted to target the largest market. Therefore, I decided that my strategy would be to provide consumers more value for their money. I planned to achieve this by producing and offering a large number of models to satisfy the need for more choices and to incorporate more enhanced styling features into each model, use higher quality materials, and invest in Six Sigma/TQM programs in order to improve the attractiveness and quality of the shoes produced. My strategy to maintain reasonable prices was to invest in best practices training and offer higher base wages and incentive pay to employees in order to increase the number of pairs produced per employee and reduce the number of rejected pairs, thereby reducing the production costs per pair. Secondly, the financial strategy of reducing production costs and taking a conservative approach to financing operations was based on improving profit margins and managing risks. Therefore, my strategy to reduce production costs and improve profit margins was to invest in best practices training and offer higher base wages and incentive pay to employees in order to increase the number of pairs produced per employee and reduce the number of rejected pairs, thereby reducing the production costs per pair. With lower production costs per pair, the company would be able to retain more of the  revenue generated from sales resulting in an increased profit margin. My strategy to manage risks was to reduce the company’s debt obligations by repaying loans early and not incurring any further debt unless absolutely necessary. To avoid further debt, the strategy was to maintain a cash flow sufficient to pay expenses as they came due without having to obtain short-term financing and to increase production capacity by improving or expanding existing production facilities rather than by constructing new facilities in other regions. 1. Evaluate the effectiveness of your strategy. The effectiveness of my Best-Cost Provider Strategy to provide consumers with a wide variety of attractive, high-quality products at an affordable price by using better materials, improving efficiency, and taking a conservative approach to financing operations was fairly successful. With the exception of the first and final years, Kix Footwear was one of the top three companies in the industry. As the game began, Kix started out in 5th place overall with slight increases in Earnings Per Share (EPS) of $0.02, Return on Equity (ROE) of 1.3%, and Stock Price of $0.42/share. By the end of the second year (Year 12), the company had more moderate increases of $2.33 in EPS, 8.3% in ROE, and $56.15/share in Stock Price, putting me 3rd place overall with a +13 point change from Year 11. Kix maintained its standing in 3rd place throughout the game until the final year, occasionally sharing it with Company E. The final EPS for Kix Footwear at the end of the game (Year 18) was $9.08, an increase of $6.39 overall; ROE increased 4.2% to a final score of 19.2%; and the Stock Price in the final year was $172.67/share which was an increase of $140.67/share. While my strategy for Kix Footwear was fairly successful, I believe that the company’s performance could have been better if I had been more willing to take financial risks. My attempts to increase production capacity were not as effective as I had hoped, causing my company to lose many sales to my competitors with the foresight to build additional capacity at the onset of  the game. Additionally, I underestimated the competition’s aggressiveness in obtaining celebrity endorsements and was too risk-averse to bid high, which resulted in my initial bids to be incredibly low compared to those of my competitors. Ultimately, I was not able to obtain celebrity endorsements immediately due to my low bids, which hurt my image and cost me sales. Due to my setbacks in failing to adequately increase capacity and obtain celebrity endorsements, I lost focus on my original deliberate strategy and began implementing a reactive strategy based on mimicking the actions of the 1st and 2nd place competitors. I reduced the number of models I offered and raised my prices substantially, both of which are directly in conflict with my initial strategy. Mimicking the strategy of a rival is rarely successful and did not prove to be so in this situation. As a result of this change in strategy, the company slipped slightly in Year 14, with EPS falling from $5.08 to $4.57, ROE decreasing from 20.4% to 16.0%, and Stock Prices slipping from $96.87/share to $83.20/share. I immediately realized my error and returned to my original strategy by offering more models at lower prices. The outcome was that I was able to regain my competitive advantage the following year (Year 15) and my scores reflected this as EPS rose to $6.03, ROE to 18.7%, and Stock Prices to $105.63. C. Evaluate your ability to identify competitors’ strengths, weaknesses, and strategies during the simulation. My ability to identify my competitors’ strengths, weaknesses, and strategies during the simulation were at first not as good as I had hoped they would be. My focus at the beginning of the game remained only on those companies that were ahead of me or directly below me. The other companies did not factor into my strategic decision-making and, as a result, I lost out on a vital purchase of additional capacity at the beginning of the game which set me back slightly. Additionally, because of my failure to monitor my external environment, I was taken by surprise when Company E gained ground in Year 13, coming from 6th place to being tied for 3rd place with me. I realized at that point, that it was necessary to watch all of my competitors, not just the ones that I wanted to surpass. An ambitious company can make significant  changes to their strategy and overcome rivals quickly. For a company to maintain a competitive edge, it is important to closely monitor the external environment in order to identify competitors with the ambition, capabilities, and resources necessary to pose a real threat and prepare a strategy to protect against that threat. As the game continued my ability to identify competitor strengths, weaknesses, and strategies improved. I watched the behaviors of all of the companies, not just the most successful ones, and made strategic decisions based on taking advantage of weaknesses in my competitors in order to gain their market shares and adjusting my strategy to take advantage of consumer preference trends. For example, I noted that there were a lot of sales in the wholesale segment were lost in all of the four regions by companies that were offering products for the private-label segment. I decided to avoid the private-label segment because the profit margin was less than in the internet and wholesale segments and to provide as much product as I could to those segments in order to gain the market shares of those companies supplying the private label segment. Additionally, there was more production capacity available than there was demand and this continued to be more pronounced each year. Therefore, rather than create more capacity through new construction, I decided to increase my capacity by purchasing it from other companies. With this increased capacity, I was able to better meet the demands of the wholesale and internet segments in all four regions without the monthly interest expense of a construction loan. The results were that I had fewer lost sales in the wholesale segment than those companies offering product for the private-label segment, achieved higher levels of sales revenue, and received an A+ credit rating. 1. Discuss how successful you were in predicting your competitors’ next moves. My success in predicting my competitors’ next moves was initially very good and then began to lag as the game continued. I believe that my initial success was due to the fact that every company was starting out in exactly the same position and faced with identical market conditions. Therefore, I simply predicted that my competitors, in reviewing and analyzing the same market conditions as I, would come to the same or similar conclusions and react in much the same way as I would. Regardless of the strategy each company wanted to execute, the fact remained that production costs were less in the AP plants than in the NA plants. So I predicted that most of the companies would concentrate their production in the AP region and ship to the other regions. I also assumed that most of the companies would raise their prices, a few would keep them the same, and that none were likely to lower prices. My predictions were accurate enough during the first two years that I received bonus points for being so close. As the game progressed, I was not as successful in predicting the moves of my competitors. I believe the first cause for this outcome was the fact that I was focusing only on the actions of the companies that were ahead of me of just below me rather than monitoring the entire external environment. I failed to recognize the importance of watching all of my rivals in order to identify potential threats to my market share. My predictions, therefore, were essentially my predictions for only those 3 or 4 successful competitors as a group, not the entire industry as a whole. Additionally, as the game continued, I found it difficult to find enough time to analyze each company properly given the time constraints. There was very little time between years for analysis and decision-making and, coupled with working full-time and family obligations, I only had enough time to perform a cursory review and analysis before entering my decisions in order to meet the deadlines. I believe that given more time, I would have been able to more accurately predict my competitors’ moves within the game. D. Discuss how sustainable the most dominant competitive advantage achieved by any company within your industry was. I believe that the most dominant competitive advantage achieved by any company within the industry was very sustainable. The top company within the industry, Company B, achieved competitive advantage by building capacity within the first two years and continuing to build throughout the game in all four regions; winning and maintaining celebrity endorsements year after year; and by investing significantly in advertising. This strategy was about  taking significant risks and it resulted in increased buyer demand, product differentiation, and perceived value. Company B had the capability of producing more product in all four regions than any of the other companies in the industry and enabled them to better meet the increasing demand for their product due to their successful advertising campaigns and celebrity endorsements. They were also able to eliminate all costs associated with shipping product from one region to another, which the other companies were not able to do. This company was able to maintain a 1st place standing overall throughout the game, with the exception of Year 13. By immediately increasing capacity and doing so in all four regions, Company B was able to increase production to meet increasing demand and eliminate the additional operating costs of shipping product from one region to another, keeping production costs down and increasing profit margins. The company also managed to successfully win bids for celebrity endorsements by the second year and maintain a high level of celebrity contracts throughout the game by bidding high. These celebrity endorsements, along with significant investments in advertising campaigns, allowed the company to boost consumer demand, increase product differentiation, enhance consumer perceived value, and command a higher price for their product. This company shot to the top of the industry immediately by taking advantage of market conditions through aggressive strategy and risk-taking. Once at the top, the company was able to sustain their competitive advantage by building on their strengths of increased capacity and demand. Increased capacity allowed the company to gain market shares from those companies unable to meet demand and demand for their product was created through numerous celebrity endorsements and considerable advertising. E. Compare the selected strategy to three following tests of a winning strategy: The generic competitive strategy that I selected for Kix Footwear was to provide consumers with a wide variety of attractive, high-quality products at an affordable price by using better materials, improving efficiency, and taking a conservative approach to financing operations. A winning strategy can be determined by applying three tests; The Fit Test, The Competitive Advantage Test, and The Performance Test. The Fit Test To pass The Fit Test, a company’s strategy must fit the current situation, both internally and externally. Internally, the company must be able to execute the strategy with their available resources and current capabilities. For a good external fit, the strategy must be aligned with the current market conditions. I believe that my strategy passed The Fit Test because it was a good fit internally and an adequate fit externally. Internally, my strategy was based on improving the resources available to me and building on our capabilities, such as existing facilities and current employees. My strategy consisted of investing in improvements to existing facilities in order to increase capacity and investing in enhancements to my labor force through best practices training and higher base wages and incentive pay in order to retain their valuable knowledge and experience. My strategy from an external standpoint was only adequate. As it turned out, industry demand rose much higher than I expected and my strategy to increase capacity through improving existing facilities was not enough to keep up or get ahead. As a result I lost sales to those competitors with enough courage to take risks and build additional capacity. The loss of sales due to being out of stock damaged my company’s image and affected future sales. My reactive strategy to loss of sales due to insufficient capacity was to purchase capacity from other competitors in the industry. This allowed my company the ability to better meet demand and lose fewer sales due to being out of stock. As a result, my company was able to regain the 3rd place position in the industry and remain there until the final year. †¢ The Competitive Advantage Test For a strategy to pass The Competitive Advantage Test it must be capable of  helping the company achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. To be considered sustainable, a company’s competitive advantage over rivals must be long-lasting and not just a brief period of exceptional performance. My company’s strategy throughout the game was to provide a wide variety of high quality shoes for a reasonable price, which was followed each year with the exception of Year 14. During this year, I lost focus and changed my strategy to mimic those of the companies ahead of me, resulting in considerable losses. I returned to my original strategy in Year 15 and saw significant increases, returning my company to its former position in 3rd place where it remained until the final year. The ability to remain within the top 3 companies in the industry for the bulk of the game and have steadily increasing sales revenues each year speaks to the sustainability of my company’s competitive advantage and, therefore, I believe that my strategy passed The Competitive Advantage Test.   The Performance Test The Performance Test requires that a winning strategy result in strong company performance. Indications of strong company performance are profitability and market standing. I believe my company’s strategy passed The Performance Test because it resulted in excellent profitability and good market standing. In terms of profitability, my company experienced consistent increases in net revenue each year and, with the exception of Year 14, showed a steady increase in EPS. Additionally, ROE met or exceeded investor expectations every year and unit sales in both the internet and wholesale markets increased steadily each year with the exception of the final year. In terms of market standing, my company maintained a global market share of between 8% to 10% throughout the game, met or exceeded investor expectations for image rating every year starting in Year 14, and remained one of the top 3 companies in the industry until the final year. F. Explain how effectively you applied value chain analysis during the simulation. My effectiveness in applying value chain analysis during the simulation was fairly good, but I failed to recognize the reasons for my competitor’s success in the beginning and it cost my company image points, resulting in less market share. As the game began, I analyzed what my competitors were doing to add value for their consumers and my conclusion was that they were increasing capacity so that they could provide more product in each region without the additional costs of shipping from one region to another. What I failed to realize is that, in addition to building capacity, they were also building demand for their shoes through product differentiation and increasing consumer perceived value. This was accomplished by investing heavily in advertising and placing high bids for and winning celebrity endorsement contracts. Since I was unable to secure any celebrity endorsement contracts immediately and my competitors were offering the same number of models with the same S/Q rating as my company, I tried to create more value for my customers by increasing the number of models I produced, increasing the amount of enhanced styling, and raising my product’s S/Q rating. My analysis of my competition also revealed that they had an advantage in that they were able to provide better value to consumers by producing locally in order to avoid shipping charges and costs lower. To create more value for my consumers in this activity, I purchased more capacity in the AP region because the production costs there were much lower than those in the NA region and, even with the additional costs of shipping product to the EA and LA region, I would still be able to provide my customers with high quality shoes at a reasonable price as well as achieve a healthy profit margin. G. Evaluate how effectively you addressed three important issues in order to achieve competitive and financial success for your simulation company. Model availability My effectiveness in addressing model availability in order to achieve competitive and financial success for Kix Footwear was very good. I initially kept the number of models consistent the first year (Year 10), but quickly realized that without the advantages of having celebrity endorsements I needed to offer something to consumers that would differentiate my product, provide more value to my customers, and give me a competitive edge. To achieve these objectives, I increased the number of models I produced and offered for sale as well as increased the style and quality above that of my competitors. As a result, despite not being able to obtain very many celebrity endorsements, consumer demand and sales rose enabling Kix Footwear to come from 5th place in Year 11 to 3rd place in Year 12, remaining there until the final year, and showed steady increases in sales revenue throughout the simulation. Corporate Citizenship My effectiveness in addressing corporate citizenship in order to achieve competitive and financial success for Kix Footwear was dismal at first and improving only slightly by the end of the simulation. When I began the simulation I did not pay much attention to the corporate citizenship aspects of decision –making, but due to my falling image rating and inability to obtain celebrity endorsements, I turned my attention to corporate citizenship. I invested in using recycled materials throughout the simulation, then began making small charitable donations, increasing it slightly each year. Towards the end of the simulation, in an attempt to further boost my image rating I began investing in ethics training and enforcement. While the efforts did boost my company’s image slightly, I believe I could have demonstrated better corporate citizenship and realized better competitive and financial success by increasing my attention to this area. Fiscal responsibility My effectiveness in addressing fiscal responsibility was very good during the simulation, but not excellent. I was very focused on eliminating all outstanding debt to avoid the monthly interest expenses and achieve an A+ credit rating in preparation for the possibility of needing capital in the future at a lower interest rate. While this aspect of my strategy was quite effective and I believe that my credit rating helped boost the company’s attractiveness to investors in that the credit risk was very low, my company  should have been putting the available capital to use to increase investment earnings. Rather than simply sitting on the available capital, the company should have invested it in order to increase investor’s return on equity. In that respect, I feel that I was not effective in addressing fiscal responsibility. How to cite Business Strategy Simulation Analysis, Papers

My Grandpa Van Essay Example For Students

My Grandpa Van Essay I was eight years and almost three months old. It was a chilly winter morning on December 2nd of 2005. Before I even opened my eyes, I knew the weather was so cold, I would be able to see my breath when I exhaled. The night before, I was thrilled knowing that my first art show was the next day and I had been preparing for it for almost an entire year! My mouth ached from smiling so much I knew that in 24-hours, the most important people in my life my parents, my tio Bill, and my Grandpa Van would all be at my art show to see the painting I had devoted so much time and so many paint strokes into. The morning of the art show came around like the speed of light. Before I even opened my eyelids and wiped away the goop from the crevices of my coffee brown eyes, I was forced to rush and awaken completely by an abrupt shaking movement of my warm, cozy, soulmate which I like to call my bed. I opened my eyes, as laborious as it was. Oh, and it was my mom shaking my bed like always no surprise. Or was it? I heard a sort of panic in my mom’s voice that gave me a rare, uncomfortable feeling that something wasn’t quite right. As my mom shook my bed, in a frantic voice that I could barely understand; she blurted the words through tears and worry, â€Å"Grandpa Van is dying! † I hurriedly thought to myself, how is this happening to the life of someone who spent hours in Toys â€Å"R† Us searching for everything on my birthday and Christmas lists. I couldn’t begin to fathom my life in his absence. I couldn’t get over this thought. Every minute that passed on the way to the hospital seemed as if someone was holding the hand on my watch to keep it from tiking at normal speed. That car ride was a blur of misery that I couldn’t seem to escape quickly enough. We finally arrived to Sharp Memorial Hospital; parked and marched solemnly inside knowing more sorrow was on the way. A few moments after my siblings, mom and I started speed-walking towards the entrance of the building, I began feeling the cold sensation of tears wanting to pour south out of my eyes like the way water can crash through a dam and create a waterfall. Thankfully, my will to hold the tears back was stronger than my urge to let them break free. The dam was my temporary resolve to be strong for my Grandpa Van who I knew would see me any minute, so I knew I couldn’t let the sobbing let loose well, at least not quite yet. The process of speed walking and trying to find the room he was in was like waiting for rain in a drought. Hopeless and disappointing. Then, my mom jerked her body quickly into a room on her left. My siblings and I followed frantically, and I tried to keep my best composure; Grandpa Van had never wanted me to see him die. So if I might have the chance of witnessing his death, I felt the duty of fulfilling maturity and composure to the best of my ability. I needed to be tough for Grandpa Van and my mom. I knew that even though she had already began crying uncontrollably, there was no way I could give up on being strong for either one of them. My mom started causing me thoughts; thoughts that Grandpa Van had no chance of surviving a few more weeks or days of the cancer that had spread around his body rapidly in just a matter of weeks that we found out. As much as I wanted to deny the thought, she had surely caused the hope I had of Grandpa Van possibly making it another few days, to vanish. .u4f43599e68d7b9e068574c0535165d82 , .u4f43599e68d7b9e068574c0535165d82 .postImageUrl , .u4f43599e68d7b9e068574c0535165d82 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u4f43599e68d7b9e068574c0535165d82 , .u4f43599e68d7b9e068574c0535165d82:hover , .u4f43599e68d7b9e068574c0535165d82:visited , .u4f43599e68d7b9e068574c0535165d82:active { border:0!important; } .u4f43599e68d7b9e068574c0535165d82 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u4f43599e68d7b9e068574c0535165d82 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u4f43599e68d7b9e068574c0535165d82:active , .u4f43599e68d7b9e068574c0535165d82:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u4f43599e68d7b9e068574c0535165d82 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u4f43599e68d7b9e068574c0535165d82 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u4f43599e68d7b9e068574c0535165d82 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u4f43599e68d7b9e068574c0535165d82 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u4f43599e68d7b9e068574c0535165d82:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u4f43599e68d7b9e068574c0535165d82 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u4f43599e68d7b9e068574c0535165d82 .u4f43599e68d7b9e068574c0535165d82-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u4f43599e68d7b9e068574c0535165d82:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Compare And Contrast Hinduism And Buddhism EssayFinally, I couldn’t stand just sitting there watching my Grandpa Van die; I made my way over to one of those cold hospital chairs and sat myself on it, not considering how much I loathe the smell of death it reeked with. Nothing mattered more at the moment than being next to the person who gave me so much flashing back to my third Christmas, the day he bought me my cozy critter pillow I still sleep with today, gosh I don’t think I could sleep without it; but not only did he just give me physical possessions, but a purpose on how I should live. Though he was beyond weak, I had just felt his hand reach over to touch my arm which was resting on his bed. I got the chills because it was as if I felt an angel touch me. Right then, the dam in my eyes that had been holding in all my tears went crashing down! In my head, I could see a flash of all my memories with my Grandpa Van. All the moments he had spent playing hot wheels with me or taking me in his new car to Starbucks, had somehow all wrapped together to teach me the purpose of living. But what that purpose was, I still couldn’t identify. As he was there touching my arm, in less than a second, I felt an instant cold rush sensation in his hand. I looked over at his eyes and knew that was the moment he would close his eyes forever. It was odd because I possessed this inner peace about his death the second I knew he was gone. It was that I knew he was in a better place with more angels like himself. Tears were still sprinting down my cheeks as if they were racing. The feeling of his cold hand that was still touching my arm gave me a sense of revelation. Revelation of what that lesson was Grandpa Van taught me. It was to be just as he was selfless. He gave me, and everyone he knew, so much without wanting or taking anything in return, that I can’t even picture having to live life without knowing someone so selfless. Grandpa Van was the most inspirational role model I’ve ever known; I see it as my duty to always strive towards being nothing but selfless, just like that angel up there that I still feel close to and I know I always will. My art show had came around so fast that night, though I had almost forgotten about it. I remember standing next to my blue flower painting waiting for my Tio Bill to arrive. I looked up from my head hanging in exhaustion because of the emotional roller coaster I had experienced throughout that day. As my head was raised, right across from me was an older teenage girl who had a painting of an angel dressed in a white cloth looking down on children playing. It instantly lit a smile on my face that was difficult to remove the rest of the night. A tear of that inner peace Grandpa Van left me made its way slowly down my cheek. Looking at the painting of the angel, I then said in a low voice, â€Å"Thank you for everything Grandpa. I love you. †