Philippine History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Philippine History - Essay Example On December 10, 1898, the final version of the Treaty of Paris was signed in Paris (hence the namesake). The treaty formally ceded territories, particularly the Philippines from Spain to the United States for $20 million (Zaide, 1984). As any colony would react, the short-term consequence of the acquisition of the Philippines by America can be considered rough. Barely three months after the acquisition of the Philippines, the conflict between the United States and the Philippines began on February 04, 1899 which quickly escalated into a full war with the Battle of Manila in 1899 (Philippine History.org, 2012). Shortly, Philippines declared war against the United States on July 04, 1902 which was known as the Philippine War of Independence with former Katipunan fighters extending their fight against the Americans from their former colonizers, the Spaniards (Lee, 2012). World War II broke out and following the war, the United States relinquished control of the Philippine territory by signing the Treaty of General Relations albeit with conditions which are the signing of the Bell Trade Act which in effect still enforces some sort of control on the Philippine territory. The US established a military in Subic, Philippines and prohibited the country from manufacturing any product that might be of competition against US products. The United States also forced the Philippines to have unlimited access to its natural resources and to have an equal stature with the local with the signing of the Parity Rights Agreement. The American occupation of the Philippines can be said to have changed its cultural perspective.  

RECRUITMENT & SELECTION ( Human Resource Managment) Essay

RECRUITMENT & SELECTION ( Human Resource Managment) - Essay Example (1). In my opinion it is in the traditional approach that the company demonstrates obligation to its own well-being and the well-being of its employees. The Obligation and Benefits of Internal Selection The case presented makes it very clear that the internal candidate has remained a loyal employee to the organization. The organization has an obligation to its own well-being and the well-being of its employees to recognize loyalty and maintain the loyalty of its employees. (2). Denying this obligation to a talented internal candidate will make employees reconsider their loyalty to the organization to the disadvantage of the organization. Let us look at morale among the employees of the organization in case of external selection. The lack of recognition of performance and loyalty and the possible block to career advancement will lower their morale and act as a de-motivating factor, influencing their performance. (1). Minimizing costs in its business activities is an obligation of an o rganization. By opting for the suitable internal candidate the costs involved in easing the new entrant into the job position and organization are removed.

The Role of Mass Media in the 2008 U.S. Elections Essay Example for Free

The Role of Mass Media in the 2008 U.S. Elections Essay The United States of America rejoiced on the outcome of the recently concluded 2008 Presidential Elections which made Former Senator Barack Obama victorious over his political opponent Senator John McCain. The election was considered as one of the most memorable in the history of politics in the United States for it was the first time that an African American won over the dominating White race in the very powerful and elite field in the society. In a society that has a rich history of racisms and discrimination; it is hard to believe that people will allow such event to happen. It just proves that parity among races and ethnicity is almost at hand. The mass media is one of the most important tools that play a significant role in the presidential election that happened last November. Through the mass media, people were able to keep tabs of their candidates if they are winning or losing the race. Media also informed the public of the polls that are being counted in various states all at once. Thus, making the acquisition of relevant and useful information is a lot easier through the use of mass media. They have a duty to inform the public of the recent important events that bear relevance and concern of the people’s daily lives. Media will always play an important part in every election or any important event that will happen, because the media is tasked to record any important events that will shape the contemporary society. Mass Media Mass media has been around for generations and its importance in the society is recognized over the years as it participated in some of the most significant events that shaped the contemporary society to what it is now. Mass media is a collection of tools that is used in mass communication to disseminate vital information and messages that is perceived by the people. Mass communication and mass media are partners in informing, entertaining and educating the public. Mass communication is the process of transmitting messages and information through a medium or a channel to a large and diverse audience or market (Lane). It is a special section of the media intended to use in reaching a very large audience. Mass media is a tool of communication that is utilized in facilitating mass communication. It is composed of eight mass media industries which include Magazines, Newspapers, Books, Recordings, Film, Radio, Television and the Internet (Lane). These eight media industries are grouped in three main categories which are the print, broadcast and digital medium. It is not easy to define and describe the various aspects encompassing the functions and roles of media since it is an industry that is most adaptable to change. The emergence of digital communication technology which is a recent addition to the collection mass media tools, manifests that the media industry adheres to the dynamicity of the modern society. Recently, there are another additions in the collection of mass media tools due to the advancement of human technology which invents and innovates tools and gadgets that are capable of reaching a large audience all at the same time. A cell phone is one of the most wonderful products of technology. Mobile phones or telephones are technically considered as tools for mediated-interpersonal communication. Conventionally, it was only capable of bridging two people together in an exchange of messages. But because of the technology that is responsible for the recent features that are added to the typical mobile phones, some phones nowadays are equipped for internet browsing, radio streaming and camcorders that are classified as tools for mass communication. The media have so many functions that it helped the public in attaining relevant information in an instant. Media also serves other functions in the contemporary society such as informing the public. During the times of war, acquisition of information is very difficult and some of the information obtained by the public is often filtered by the government officials. The government also imposed restrictions to what type of information the media can impart to the public. This process is also known as â€Å"gatekeeping†, which means filtering of information by either the government or the media itself. During these years, media is controlled by the government. When a war has ceased, reconstruction of the casualties and damages caused by the war should follow. In this light, amendments on the governing laws of the government are done and freedom on media activities is provided. However, the freedom that is provided is not absolute, because there are still laws that are being drafter to ensure that freedom abuse by media will not occur. The First Amendment of U. S. Constitution states that â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances† (â€Å"U. S. Constitution: First Amendment† n. p. ). The others functions of the mass media is to entertain and educate its audience. To entertain is to provide leisure to the audience in various forms like programs and advertisements. The media also educates the public in several ways, such as through the programs being broadcasted and through articles that are published by the print media. Mass Media: The Fourth Estate The media is often accused of imposing a culture that is far from reality. It is often criticized by leftists and supporters of the Marxist ideologies and communism which control all the functions and aspects of the state. In communist and socialist countries like China and Russia, respectively, the media serves as a medium wherein the role of the government is emphasized and its intentions are being made clear for the public. However, in democratic countries that allow the media and the press in exercising freedom of speech, they serve a function of fulfilling the important roles of being the fourth estate of the nation. They become the watchdog of the government, â€Å"the guardians of democracy, and defenders of the public interest† (â€Å"The Mass Media as Fourth Estate†). The phrase Fourth Estate is attributed to the 19th century historian Carlyle who expounded Edmund Burke’s statement about the Three Estates of the Parliament. But Carlyle then referred to the reporters in the gallery of which he described that acquired equal powers as the other estates. The press is considered as the Fourth Estate or the fourth power who watches the checks and balances of the three other wings of the government which are the executive, legislative and the judiciary (â€Å"The Mass Media as Fourth Estate†). The media closely watches over the activities of the government officials and public figures ready to expose any of their misconduct and wrongdoings for the public, in order to come up with necessary actions to be imposed against the committed delinquency. As such, the role of the press is to inform the public of the government’s activities and in turn, become the public’s voice in order to express their opinions and stand on the issue. Roles of Media in 2008 U. S. Elections The mass media takes part in every significant event that happens in the society. The mass media is able to record every detail of a particular event. As such, the media has a strong impact on the political landscape of the United States. Media greatly influences the outcome of political events and participates greatly in political decisions. Media played a significant role in the recently concluded 2008 U. S. Presidential Elections. From the first step of choosing the candidates for the political parties in the United States, towards the campaign period and until the Election Day and tallying of votes; the media takes a huge participation. The people have seen how Senator Barack Obama and Senator Hilary Clinton fought over the presidential bet of the Democrat Party. The people were informed of how they debated many times presenting their platforms and ideologies that hopefully would win the hearts of the Democrats and the supporters. It was broadcasted in television and radio and printed in newspapers. The entire world has heard how the critics commented on the huge change that will be brought by the Democratic Party – whoever of the two will make it on the Presidential seat – either Obama will become the first African American president of the United States, or Clinton will emerge as the first female president of the country. The campaign period was put into motions and people have seen how the candidates utilized the various media outfits to gain an advantage over their political opponent. People have witnessed how the candidates infiltrated the different mass media industries to increase their popularity and win over the race. The common tools of political campaigns are the television, radio and newspapers. The faces of the politicians are to be seen everywhere promising political reforms and national development. Even the digital communication technology was also used due to its prevalence and popularity especially to the young people. Even though the utilization of broadcast media increased exponentially, this is the first Presidential election wherein the social networks in the internet such as MySpace, Facebook and YouTube were utilized to persuade the electorate (â€Å"Social Media and Presidential Election: Impact of YouTube, MySpace†). The utilization of these tools is new and convenient. First, the use and access of the various social networks is free. As such, this can cut off the costs for the campaign fund. Second, it reaches a large audience because the internet is used by people every now and then. Plus, the social networking in the internet is very popular especially to the young people and that every voting population has a registered account. It is traditionally known that people will turn to the conventional media to acquire information about a candidate and obtain political information pertinent in making their political decisions. But nowadays, people are also turning to internet sites and personal social network accounts to see the views of their friends on who to vote for. The information they find in the internet, especially on social network accounts, are information they find more credible and persuasive (â€Å"Social Media and Presidential Election: Impact of YouTube, MySpace†). There are also discussions pertaining to how media presents and determines the outcome of the Presidential Race. The media greatly influences the people and has a huge tendency to shape the public opinion solely based on their concentration on a particular political candidate. This is why media popularity is considered most important. It is important that you are able to reach people even in the farthest places and make them know the candidates well (â€Å"The Involvement of Mass Media in Political Campaigns†). The voter’s view can also be altered by political advertisements that do not merely focus on the real political issues but only of trivial concerns. This may cause voters to either dislike the candidate or develop sympathy towards them. With the involvement of media, elections often become popularity contests due to the popularity polls that are being shown in the broadcast and print media prior to the actual voting. Commercial advertisements were also used in election campaigns to get the voters to believe and take the position of a particular politician. Politicians have a difficult time in guiding the voters’ opinions due to these particular actions of the mass media (â€Å"The Involvement of Mass Media in Political Campaigns†). Media also plays a significant part in covering the counting and tallying of votes during the Presidential Elections. The coverage of mass media involves two key elements which are news reporting and paid advertising. The combination of the two makes an important and influential factor in the election process. The media looks forward on the election for news and revenues they will gather because the candidates rely mainly on the media to reach the largest number of voters possible (â€Å"Mass Media Coverage of Presidential Election†). The media plays a very powerful and justifiable role during elections. Despite of being accused on focusing not on the main political issues but on the unnecessary personal lives of the candidates and other criticisms thrown against the media, it still performs its duty to the public as the watchdog of the government. Their job is simply to present the truth and detect any misconducts or wrongdoings done by any of the political figures aspiring for a seat. Conclusion Mass media continues to play significant roles and functions in the conventional and contemporary society. Mass media enables people to acquire necessary information in an easy and fast way. Mass media also plays significant roles and functions during elections. They perform their duties from the start of the campaign up to the counting of the electoral votes. The mass media has been an important part in the recently concluded 2008 U. S. Presidential Elections wherein Senator Barack Obama obtained victory and as such, became the first African American president of the United States. The participation of mass media in the campaigns marked the presidential elections. It was the first time that the candidates utilized all the available mass media means just to reach the largest voting population as much as possible. It is undeniable that the mass media will always continue to record history and shape and mold the society. Works Cited Lane, Beth. 29 June 2007. â€Å"What is Mass Media? † Suite101. com. 11 December 2008 http://medialiteracy. suite101. com/article. cfm/what_is_mass_media_. †¢ The article defined mass media and mass communication and examined the recent additions to the mass media industry which is the digital communication technology. â€Å"Mass Media Coverage of Presidential Election†. 19 December 2001. OPPapers. com. 11 December 2008 http://www. oppapers. com/essays/Mass-Media-Coverage-Presidential-Election/22555.

Mao Zedong Essay Example for Free

Mao Zedong Essay Mao Zedong took over the running of China from the GMD in 1949. The country was in an awful situation; it was weak, bankrupt and had little power. There were several reasons why the country was left in such a state. The Emperors who had ruled China for centuries had failed to modernise the country and China still believed in the ancient traditions of life. Foreign intervention had also hindered the development of China and caused problems. Foreign countries, such as Hong Kong, which was controlled by Britain and Mares, which was controlled by Portugal, controlled the main port areas in China. The intervention of foreign influence meant that China was unable to make important decisions for themselves. The world wars and the civil wars also affected China. The continuous battles between the GMD and the CCP striped the land of valuable resources. At the end of the civil war the defeated GMD left China for Taiwan and took the countries gold reserves. When the CCP took over as the governing body of China, they were bankrupt and had little power or resources. Mao Zedong decided action needed to be taken and this was one of the reasons why the second five-year plan was introduced. In 1950 Mao decided that China needed financial support, and so turned to Russia. Russia was the first communist country and was a natural place to look for help. China and Russia signed the Treaty of Friendship, Alliance and Mutual Assistance. China was provided with financial aid and technical advice. They received $300 million over 5 years and 10,000 engineers and planning experts to help develop Chinas economy. The First five year plan was drawn up under the influence of the Russian advisers, to develop the economy. The plan gave priority to the development of heavy industry e. g. steel, coal and machinery. But it neglected light industry such as cotton making and food processing. This meant that the growth in living standards was slow. The first five year plan achieved great success in the development of heavy industry. The output of coal increased from 63. 5 million tonnes in 1952 to 124 tonnes in 1957. The output of steel also increased. It rose from 1,9 million tonnes to 5. 8 million tonnes. The Second five year plan was introduced in 1958 to build upon the successes of the first five year plan. Maos aim was that the second five year plan would improve both industry and agriculture at the same time. The main target of the plan was to catch up with the Western powers. Mao intended that the Chinese economy would overtake Britain in 15 years and America in 20-30 years. Mao took over China when it was very weak and very vulnerable. Under the guidance of the Russian advisers Mao introduced the first five year plan. During this plan some improvements were made, but Mao still decided further sacrifice was needed to move China forward. During Maos tour of the countryside in 1958 he said he had witnessed the tremendous energy of the masses and decided this was the way to change China into a modern country. Mao had a vision to make China into one of the worlds leading industrial nations at the same time as improving her agriculture. To do this Mao introduced the second five year plan, which he called the Great Leap Forward. When Mao received financial aid from Russia in 1950, he described this as getting meat out of the mouth of a tiger. Mao knew it was dangerous but also knew it was the only way to develop China. Mao also introduced the Great Leap Forward because he realised he had to develop China as they could not rely on Russia forever, and must stand on its own. Mao wanted to conduct the Great Leap Forward in a socialist way. Cooperatives and then communes were set up to gather the tremendous energy of the masses. The peasants. The peasants were very important in Maos plan. Mao was going to use the huge amount of peasants to change China. 80-90% of the population were peasants; Mao had plenty of people to carry out tasks. During he first five year plan the peasants had been set up into lower and higher stage co-operatives, this was to share the workload. In the second five year plan these co-operatives were developed into communes. The function of the communes was to act as a unit of local government with a committee made up of peasants, party members and soldiers. Each commune had an eating hall, schools and houses of happiness for the old. They were also set up as a unit of work organisation and finally a unit of the communist party. Mao encouraged the peasants to work by using propaganda. The government made every effort to whip the people into a frenzy of enthusiasm for work. They used posters, slogans and newspaper articles to urge the Chinese people to work, also loudspeakers played revolutionary music and stirring speeches to encourage work. The peasants may have been Chinas biggest resource but they were also theirs biggest problem as there was a tremendous amount of them and it was difficult to feed them all. China had very poor relations with America and there was a risk of conflict. The USA feared that China would spread communism to Asia and then to other parts of the world. The USA also showed its support for the GMD and in 1949 sent a US fleet to Taiwan. This was to show China that its support lay with the GMD and not them. This enraged Mao. In 1950 the USA sent troops to South Korea against the Chinese backed North Korea who were attempting to spread communism. In 1953 the relations between China and the USA were again affected. The USA blocked Chinas application to join the UN (United Nations) because they did not want to accept that the CCP was the governing body of China. China felt threatened by the USA and wanted to strengthen itself so it could stand up to countries like America. This was one of the reasons why the second five-year plan was introduced. China also had difficult relations with Russia. To begin with the two countries had a strong Relationship and then it fell apart. China and Russia seemed to be natural allies against the Western powers, as they were both communist countries. In 1950 Russia and China signed a Treaty of Friendship. But Mao realised this was dangerous, he states it was like taking meat from the mouth of a tiger. Mao wasnt the only one who thought this deal was risky. Khrushchev, the leader of Russia states that conflict with China is inevitable. He also said Mao is bursting with a impatient desire to rule the world. So conflict between the two countries seemed certain. In the mid 1950s the relations between the two countries began to deteriorate, due to several reasons. First Russia promised to help China develop atomic weapons but when asked they refused. Secondly China made claims for land at the India border but Russia failed to back them. China also claimed the right to control Taiwan and Russia again failed to support them. Finally Russia and China themselves had border disputes which weakened relations even further. China began to feel isolated by the breakdown of relations and Mao decided China must develop to survive. Then in1960 Russia withdrew aid, relations at this time were critical. Mao knew he had to act and the poor relations between China and Russia was a main reason why the second five-year plan was introduced. Only a few months after Mao introduced the Great Leap Forward things began to go dreadfully wrong. There were problems in industry and agriculture. The government put too much pressure on people and machinery. Often people would fall asleep at their post and machines would regularly overload due to the increased workload. The idea of the backyard steel campaign was also a failure. It produced impure steel which couldnt be used and steel that could be used was just left to rot. The backyard steel campaign took many peasants away from farming and so less food was being produced. The campaign also used valuable resources it used a lot of wood and coal. Many railway locomotives were unable to be used because of the lack of coal available. The crops that were grown began to die due to bad planning. The crops were place in show fields were there was little room, little and not much water. Bad weather also hindered the production of food. In some parts of the country crop fields were flooded by the heavy rains, whilst other crop field were left without any water and the crop were left to die. During the 3 bitter years 1959-61, over 20million people died as a result of lack of food. This was due to bad planning and the awful weather conditions. When the Russians withdrew their aid in 1960 the second five-year plan collapsed. Mao then lost support and the moderates kicked him out of office. Mao was left with the post of chairman of the party but had no control in the economy or the running of the country. During the second five-year plan the following successes were made. The population was reorganised into communes, this was such a success because there was over 700 million peasants living in China. To start with the plan achieved early success in the production of food and steel. There were also 600,000 furnaces set up to aid in the production of steel. The Chinese peasants also constructed a dam and canal. These were completed in record time. The second five-year plan also suffered a lot of failures. Poor planning caused these. The backyard steel campaign wasted resources such as coal and timber and took peasants away from food production. The output of the steel was impure and unusable. There was competition between communes, which led to each commune setting ridiculous targets. This led to the government believing it had more food and so food rations were increased. The second five-year plan ended in complete failure causing the deaths of more then 20million people from starvation and other related diseases.

The Dramatic Setting of the Gorgias :: Gorgias

The Dramatic Setting of the Gorgias ABSTRACT: I analyse the dramatic setting of the Gorgias by contrasting it with that of the Protagoras. The two dialogues are closely related. In the Gorgias Socrates states that the rhetorician and the sophist are basically indistinguishable in everyday life. In both the Protagoras and the Gorgias, his confrontation with his interlocutors is metaphorically related to a descent to Hades. However, while the events in the Protagoras are narrated by Socrates himself, the Gorgias has readers face the unfolding events without mediation. The temporal and spatial framing of the Gorgias is indeterminate, while both aspects are described in detail in the Protagoras. I maintain that the magical passage from an indeterminate "outside" to an indeterminate "inside" in the Gorgias is significantly related to the characters' attitude towards the boundaries of each other's souls, which are constantly ignored or attacked. As a matter of fact, the dialogue presents a very impressive amount of anger and exchange of abuse, which never ceases until the end. I suggest that the temporal framing demonstrates that the beginning and the end of the dialogue are closely connected. Socrates unexpectedly arrives and refutes Gorgias by asking him unexpected questions. The last myth of judgment indicates that Gorgias' attitude is comparable to that of the mortals who lived during Kronos' age, while Socrates brings about a liberation from appearance which is analogous to the innovations brought about by Zeus. The Gorgias has been often characterized by commentators as a remarkably bitter dialogue. After all, the dialogue presents a war between philosophy and rhetoric. Socrates is involved in three discussions of growing length and complexity with characters who, to various degrees, defend the power of rhetoric and the superiority of political life over philosophical life. It is a "fighting dialogue", as is also suggested by its incipit: "to war and battle." One would expect Socrates to win against his non-philosophical interlocutors. However, this is not the case. The more the conversations proceed, the more they are infiltrated by anger and misunderstanding, the more one is under the impression that Socrates may well silence his interlocutors but he hardly persuades them. His last interlocutor, Callicles, not only is not persuaded by him, but at one point even refuses to talk to Socrates and leaves him with the choice between abandoning the discussion altogether and performing a monologue. The myth of last judgment, which concludes the dialogue, is addressed to Callicles.

The Effects of Computers on Everyday Life :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

The Effects of Computers on Everyday Life Computers have changed the way that the world works in many different ways. Some of these changes are positive and some of these changes have had negative effects on our lives. From an industrial standpoint most of these changes have been helpful to businesses and the economy. In the medical field computers have had an impact in many different areas, ranging from the way appointments are made to the carrying out of everyday tasks. The biggest and easiest seen change that computers have had on today’s society can be seen in the workplace. Before computers became an office tool and were made available to the average employee, paperwork and sharing information in an office setting was done by many different individuals constantly filing and looking up figures. Now a computer can store large amounts of information that is readily available to virtually anyone with the click of a mouse button. One person can complete a job that in a time before computers would take many. Computers have made file cabinets and libraries almost obsolete. Businesses can share information nation or even world wide in a matter of seconds. For example, a word document file can be sent from an office in New York to an office in Los Angeles in under a minute, in the past this same information would have taken a week to be sent through the mail. Computers have changed the way that factories are run too. On an assembly line, be fore computers every job, no matter how easy or difficult, had to be done by an employee. Now, however, computers run machines and do most of these tasks. Another big change that computers have made in our everyday lives is that with the internet we can now access information about just about anything, at any time, and we can do this from the comfort of our own home. Credit cards can be used to do on-line shopping at virtually any store. E-mail has changed the way that people communicate, it is usually free of charge and mail is sent and received in minutes. Devices such as video phones and web-cams make video conferencing possible. This allows people to see who they are talking to in â€Å"real-time† even if they are on opposite ends of the map. The Effects of Computers on Everyday Life :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers The Effects of Computers on Everyday Life Computers have changed the way that the world works in many different ways. Some of these changes are positive and some of these changes have had negative effects on our lives. From an industrial standpoint most of these changes have been helpful to businesses and the economy. In the medical field computers have had an impact in many different areas, ranging from the way appointments are made to the carrying out of everyday tasks. The biggest and easiest seen change that computers have had on today’s society can be seen in the workplace. Before computers became an office tool and were made available to the average employee, paperwork and sharing information in an office setting was done by many different individuals constantly filing and looking up figures. Now a computer can store large amounts of information that is readily available to virtually anyone with the click of a mouse button. One person can complete a job that in a time before computers would take many. Computers have made file cabinets and libraries almost obsolete. Businesses can share information nation or even world wide in a matter of seconds. For example, a word document file can be sent from an office in New York to an office in Los Angeles in under a minute, in the past this same information would have taken a week to be sent through the mail. Computers have changed the way that factories are run too. On an assembly line, be fore computers every job, no matter how easy or difficult, had to be done by an employee. Now, however, computers run machines and do most of these tasks. Another big change that computers have made in our everyday lives is that with the internet we can now access information about just about anything, at any time, and we can do this from the comfort of our own home. Credit cards can be used to do on-line shopping at virtually any store. E-mail has changed the way that people communicate, it is usually free of charge and mail is sent and received in minutes. Devices such as video phones and web-cams make video conferencing possible. This allows people to see who they are talking to in â€Å"real-time† even if they are on opposite ends of the map.

Semiotics and Instructional Technology Essay -- Signs Writing Symbols

Semiotics and Instructional Technology Abstract The purpose of my paper is to define and discuss semiotics and relate it to instructional technology. Discussing Semiotics Huyghe says that if you are a semiologist, then you study systems of signs (Huyghe, 1993, p.1). This area of discussion can cover a broad range of topics from hieroglyphic writing to "Masks and the semiotics of identity." "In semiotic terms, an icon is a variety of sign that bears a resemblance to its object; a diagram, for example, is an icon of that which the diagram represents (Pollock, 1995, p. 1). In Bourland-Davis’ article, she draws from Johnson and Hackman to discuss semiotics as a form of symbolic communication (Bourland-Davis, 1998, p. 2). In Bourland-Davis’ article (Bourland-Davis, p. 2), Johnson and Hackman state that ‘human (symbolic) communication †¦ generates new and relevant combinations of associations of existing elements (materials, words, ideas, facts, sounds, movements, colors, lines, mathematical notations, procedures, etc.) through lateral (divergent) thinking’ (as cited in Johnson and Hackman, 1995, p.15). Sometimes the most effective way to represent an abstract problem is by using symbols, as students learn to do in high-school algebra (Matlin, 1998, p. 347). Often by comparing an idea to an object that can be symbolically related somehow, the level of understanding is increased, and then that object can later be used as a trigger mechanism for recalling the specifics of that concept (Matlin, 1998, p. 351). "†¦a visual image can let us escape from the boundaries of traditional representations. At the same time, however, the visual image is somewhat concrete; it serves as a symbol for a theory that has not yet bee... ...of identity. Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute: Vol. 1 (pp. 581-597). Scott, Robert Ian. (1995). Messages and meanings: An essay/review – Messages and Meanings: An introduction to semiotics by Marcel Danesi. Et Cetera: Vol. 52 (pp. 482-486). Winn, William. Toward a rationale and theoretical basis for educational technology. ETR&D: Vol. 37 (pp. 35-46). Zenger, Weldon F. & Zenger, Sharon K. (1999). Schools and curricula for the 21st century: Predictions, visions and anticipations. NASSP Bulletin: Vol. 83 (pp. 49-60). Textbooks Used: Anglin, Gary J. (1995). Instructional Technology: Past, Present and Future. (2nd ed.). In Barbara L. Grabowski, Message Design: Issues and Trends. (pp. 222-225). Colorado: Libraries Unlimited, Inc. Matlin, Margaret W. (1998). Cognition. (4th ed.). Texas: Harcourt Brace College Publishers.

Psychological Trauma in Truman Capotes In Cold Blood :: In Cold Blood Essays

Brian Conniff's article, "Psychological Accidents: In Cold Blood and Ritual Sacrifice," explains how Truman Capote's nonfiction novel demonstrates the psychological trauma that the murderers and the townspeople of Holcomb face after the murders of the Clutter family. Conniff begins his article by stating that in the last twenty-five years imprisonment and execution has reached an all-time high level of obsession among the American public. Since this type of violence has been so normalized it is rarely properly understood (1). With this in mind, prison literature has continually suggested that "the most fortified barriers are not the physical walls and fences between the prison, and the outside world; the most fortified barriers are the psychological walls between the preoccupations of everyday life . . .and the conscious realization that punishment is the most self-destructive kind of national addiction" (Conniff 1). Conniff believes that these psychological walls are most confronted in and clearly seen in In Cold Blood. When Perry Smith, one of the murderers, confesses to the crime to Agent Alvin Dewey, Agent Dewey is surprisingly disappointed. Agent Dewey discovers that the truth is more disturbing than anything he would have ever imagined. Conniff writes, "The truth, Dewey discovers, is at once more ordinary and more disturbing than anything he has been able to imagine" (2). Smith and Hickock did not murder the Clutters for revenge and they didn't even know their victims. The crime was a virtually impersonal act and Agent Dewey does not want to believe this (2). At first Capote was not concerned with the capture and punishment of the criminals. Capote underestimated the community's need for retribution and its need to return to normalcy by enacting a violence of its own (2). Before the murders the community lived an unfearful life, no locked doors, no suspicion of one another. This "normalcy" could not be restored until the murderers were caught and punished (2). When the community began to lock its doors at night, it was trying to keep the invader from outside the community out (2). When the Hickock and Smith were finally caught the community categorized them as animals, this "allowed the community to deprive them of their humanity" (2). Conniff goes on to say, "a common normalcy ultimately depends upon the complete exclusion of outsiders, the exorcism of these mysterious animals is just as important as their discovery and capture" (3).

The Effects Of Tourism In Kenya

It has been brought to my attention that you have become concerned about the level of economic development in Kenya. To help solve this problem I have prepared a report in which I have come up with a solution to the problem. After thoroughly researching different methods to increase the economy, I have come to a conclusion that tourism is the best alternative to increase the wealth of Kenya. In my report I will be discussing if tourism should be encouraged in Kenya. I will be looking at the different options of tourism, including the tourist opportunities, the advantages and disadvantages and the people who will benefit from it and those that may be affected. I hope my report will be helpful and effective, please do not hesitate to contact me if u have any queries. Thank you. Neha Bharadia Facts Of Kenya * Kenya is located in Eastern Africa, it is found between Somalia and Tanzania. * The total area it covers is 582,650 kmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½. 13,400 kmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ of this area is water, which leaves 569,250 kmà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ to be covered by land * The total population is 31, 138,738 – Excess mortality expected due to AIDS, this results in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and death rates, lower population and growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected. * The population growth rate is 1.15% * The highest point in Kenya is Mount Kenya which is 5,199m * The natural resources available are gold, limestone, soda ash, salt barites, rubies, fluorspar, garnets, wildlife and hydropower. * Land use (see chart 2): 7.03% – Arable land 0.91% – Permanent crops 92.06% – Other * Natural hazards that occur in Kenya are: reoccurring drought and flooding during rainy seasons. * The Languages spoken in Kenya are mainly English, Swahili and Kishwahli, however there are also many other various languages spoken. * The literacy rate of the entire population is 78.17%. 86.3% of all males are literate and 70% of all females are literate. * The climate varies from tropical along the coast to arid in the centre. Graphs Showing Climate in Nairobi Chart 1 Chart 3 Chart 2 Tourism in Kenya You can read also Classifications of Restaurants Most tourists are attracted to visiting Kenya because of the wildlife parks or the coastline of the Indian Ocean. People often go on holidays in Kenya, as it is something different from normal beach holidays in Europe, which prove to be very popular with tourists. Visitors to Kenya can go on various different types of safaris, as there are many different national parks and areas where wildlife can be seen. Kenya has a total of twenty-six National Parks and twenty-nine National Reserves. All of them occupy a total area of 44,359 sq. kilometres. They range from marine national parks, savannah-bush woodland national parks, mountain national parks, arid and semi-arid national parks, to lake ecosystem national parks/reserves. The ‘big five' can be seen in all the national parks, these are Elephants, Rhinoceros, Buffalos, Lions, and Leopards. These are the five animals people most look forward to seeing as there are become rare species and can only be seen in certain parts of the world. The marine parks are famous for their beautiful coral reefs, coral gardens, beaches and lagoons, brightly patterned coral fishes e.g. Angel fish, Parrot fish, Starfish, Sea urchins, lovely porcelain cowries, Green turtles, Octopus, Dugong and big game fish like Blue marlin, Sail fish, Giant fish, Giant grouper and Marko sharks. Kenya also accommodates the greatest crocodile colony in the world at Sibiloi National Park, and the world's largest number of flamingos at Lake Nakuru National Park. Tourists can also visit Bamburi; this is an old cement works, which has been made into an ecosystem. This transformation would have been successful without the money from tourism, and is now a tourist titration itself. Another popular place for tourists to visit is Mount Kenya, it stands as the highest point in Kenya, and tourists can visit while on safaris. Tourists also enjoy visiting the Masai tribes; they are a group of nomadic herders who move around Kenya to where the rainy season is. They like to perform shows for the tourists for which they receive money. There are also many outdoor activities that people can participate in such as; camel racing, mountaineering, golf safari and white water rafting. However despite the beautiful scenery and excitingly unusual experience tourism is rapidly dropping on Kenya (See graph below). This could be due to the fact that much of the Kenyan wildlife is being destroyed especially by tourists themselves. The Advantages of Tourism * Tourism brings in a lot Kenya's income, as chart 1 shows most of Kenya's income is through services. A big part of these services rely on tourists, this includes things such as hotels, restaurants, entertainment, gift shops as these as things that locals do not usually spend money on. * Many jobs are created for locals in hotels, restaurants and tourist attractions. Many people in Kenya are illiterate (21.83% as shown in the research above) so this gives them opportunities to earn good money without having to do a complicated job. * Tourism can help locals and people of Kenya to try and preserve the area so it will remain attractive to tourists. * Things such as airports, roads, and water and electricity supplies will be improved, this can also benefit the locals as well as the tourists. * Tourism can also mean that local tradition and culture will be preserved in order to keep tourists interested in something new. * Tour operators pay the Maasai tribes people to entertain the tourists, and plus they receive extra money from any tourists who are generous enough to give them tips. * Kenya has become famously known around the world, for its luscious scenery and its wide range of wildlife. * The main people that benefit from tourism are; the service providers and local staff (tour operators, hotel staff, shops selling souvenirs), and tourists themselves as they get to enjoy an excellent holiday. * Local people get some knowledge of other countries, traditions and cultures as people from many different countries visit Kenya (see chart 3). Most locals are not fortunate enough to travel to other countries, so tourism gives them an opportunity to learn about other people. *  The Disadvantages of Tourism * Tourists are a hazard to the natural environment. They cause harms such as footpath and soil erosion, pollution problems caused by litter, noise and waste in rivers and the sea, land is wasted to build road, hotel, airport and luxuries for tourists to enjoy. Tourists leave the country in a mess, which the locals then have to suffer for in the future. The beautiful and peaceful surroundings get ruined which can then cause potential tourism to be affected. * There are only certain seasons where tourists can visit, this is usually summer, and so for the rest of the year many locals are short on work or even out left with no work. The jobs are also of low status and poorly paid, as they are not very skilled jobs, many of the employees have to get more than one job to support their families. * In the national parks tourists demand to see the animals from a close view, this disturbs the animals. * A lot of the money brought in through tourism does not end up helping the country; only 15% of the money spent on a holiday reaches Kenya. * Land is use to build developments on which mean people like farmers, fishermen and small businesses can lose their land and therefore be left without work. * As Kenya is a LEDC it suffers more from tourism than MEDCs because they lack human expertise and money, which makes them less effective than MEDCs. * The local culture may not be preserved but forgotten if locals are more willing to favour towards western tourists than to keep their traditions. They will want to please tourists and change to suit their needs. * Tourists do not respect the traditions and values of the Kenyan people; they can be disrespectful towards the people and towards their beliefs. * The Maasai tribes people have been thrown off their land and only been given a small amount of space to herd their cattle and plant their crops. * The Maasai are also tricked b the tour operators into entertaining for a chap price, although they charge a lot more for tourists to visit them. * Clean water supplies are used up by tourists, leaving only a small amount for locals. * The main people that suffer from the affects of tourism are; locals who feel their authority is not respected by tourists, and the Maasai, who do not get compensated enough for tourists using their land A Solution The problems of tourism can, in some cases, be solved in a way that all people can benefit. The main solution would be to use ‘green tourism' in Kenya. This is where tourism is environmentally friendly. There are many ways of bringing eco-tourism about; these are some of the ways. * There will be a special path for safaris; only certain types of cars can travel on these. * Tourists will not be allowed to walk around the parks, even if they are accompanied. * Tourists must not get too close to the animals or disturb them in any way. * They must not litter or cause any type of pollution. * The Maasai must receive at least half the profit made from any tour operators, and must be paid for the land that it is being used by tourists. * Tourists must respect the traditions and laws of Kenya, this includes being proper dressed at all times and following the rules given to them. * Money made from tourism should go towards paying staff and developing the environment of the country. * Only small parts of the land should be used to development tourism. * The locals should be respected, this means still being able to have a good water supply and not being over-run by tourists. If these needs can be met by both the Kenyan government and the tourists, the tourism will not only help the country's economy but will also preserve the environment. By introducing this type of tourism in Kenya it will help everyone by the following ways. * The environment will be preserved; this will help in the sustainable development of tourism in the country. The animals will be kept safe and unharmed, as well as the greenery and other surroundings. * The locals will benefit because the country can be developed with the income of tourism. * Tourist will be able to enjoy their holiday, while still being able to secure the country for tourism in the future. * The Maasai will be able to get the kind of money they deserve. Conclusion Should tourism be encouraged in Kenya? After analysing many pieces of evidence, it is obvious that tourism plays a large active role in the country's economy. It brings in a lot of the money, however there are many problems concerning this. One of the biggest problems is that the country is getting damaged in the process; this stops the sustainable development of tourism. Another major problem is that tourism is only seasonal, which means that tourism cannot be relied on as the main source of income. Although it can bring in more than most industries and agriculture, it cannot always be successful. One other problem is that is concerning the government is that most of the money spent by foreigners on holidays to Kenya does not actually reach the country itself. However if introducing eco-tourism solves the problem of tourists damaging the environment then everyone can enjoy tourism. The other two problems cannot really be solved drastically, but Kenya can still benefit from tourism. I believe that although Kenya is a good resort for tourism, so it should be encouraged under the rules of ‘green tourism.' In spite of this it is still not consistent throughout the year, which mean Kenya also needs another major source of income. The Kenyan government should use the natural resources found on the land to their advantage, for example they could export the gold, rubies and other precious stones found in the country. This will guarantee them an income when the tourist season is not on.

Last Sacrifice Chapter Nine

FORTUNATELY, THEY WERE MOROI FACES. That didn't stop me from raising my stake and moving closer to Sydney. No one was attacking us, so I held my position–not that it probably mattered. As I took in more and more of the setting, I saw that we were completely surrounded by about ten people. We'd told Sydney we were good, and it was true: Dimitri and I could probably take out a group like this, though the poor fighting quarters would make it difficult. I also realized the group wasn't entirely Moroi. The ones closest to us were, but around them were dhampirs. And the light I'd thought had come from torches or flashlights was actually coming from a ball of flame held in one of the Moroi's hands. One Moroi man stepped forward, about Abe's age, with a bushy brown beard and a silver stake in his hand. Some part of me noted the stake was crudely made compared to mine, but the point held the same threat. The man's gaze passed over me and Dimitri, and the stake lowered. Sydney became the object of the guy's scrutiny, and he suddenly reached out for her. Dimitri and I moved to stop him, but other hands reached out to stop us. I could have fought them but froze when Sydney let out a strangled, â€Å"Wait.' The bearded Moroi gripped her chin and turned her head so that the light fell on her cheek, lighting up the golden tattoo. He released his hold and stepped back. â€Å"Lily-girl,' he grunted. The others relaxed very slightly, though they kept their stakes poised and still looked ready to attack if provoked. The Moroi leader turned his attention from Sydney to Dimitri and me. â€Å"You're here to join us?' he asked warily. â€Å"We need shelter,' said Sydney, lightly touching her throat. â€Å"They're being chased by–by the Tainted.' The woman holding the flame looked skeptical. â€Å"More like spies for the Tainted.' â€Å"The Tainted Queen is dead,' said Sydney. She nodded toward me. â€Å"They think she did it.' The inquisitive part of me started to speak but promptly shut up, wise enough to know this bizarre turn of events was best left in Sydney's hands. I didn't understand what she was saying. When she'd said Tainted were pursuing us, I thought she was trying to make this group think we had Strigoi after us. Now, after she'd mentioned the queen, I wasn't so sure. I also wasn't so sure identifying me as a potential murderer was that smart. For all I knew, Brown Beard would turn me in and try to score a reward. From the looks of his clothes, he could have used one. To my surprise, this brought a smile to his face. â€Å"And so, another usurper passes on. Is there a new one yet?' â€Å"No,' said Sydney. â€Å"They'll have elections soon and choose.' The group's smiles were replaced by looks of disdain and disapproving mutters about elections. I couldn't help myself. â€Å"How else would they choose a new king or queen?' â€Å"In the true way,' said a nearby dhampir. â€Å"The way it used to be, long ago. In a battle to the death.' I waited for the punch line, but the guy was clearly serious. I wanted to ask Sydney what she'd gotten us into, but by this point, we'd apparently passed inspection. Their leader turned and began walking down the path. The group followed, moving us along as they did. Listening to their conversation, I couldn't help a small frown–and not just because our lives might be on the line. I was intrigued by their accents. The motel's desk clerk had had a thick southern accent, exactly like you'd expect in this part of the country. These guys, while sounding similar, had a few other pronunciations mixed in. It almost reminded me a little of Dimitri's accent. I was so tense and anxious that I could hardly focus on how long we walked. Eventually, the path led us to what seemed like a well-hidden campground. A huge bonfire blazed in a clearing with people sitting around. Yet, there were structures scattered off to one side, stretching into the woods along the now widened path. It wasn't quite a road yet, but it gave the illusion of a town, or at least a village. The buildings were small and shabby but appeared permanent. On the other side of the fire, the land rose sharply into the Appalachians, blocking out the stars. In the flickering light, I could see a mountain's face that was textured with rough stone and scattered trees, dotted here and there with dark holes. My attention moved back to the living. The crowd gathered around the fire–a couple dozen or so–fell silent as our escort led us in. At first, all I saw were numbers. That was the warrior in me, counting opponents and planning for attack. Then, just like I had earlier, I truly took in the faces. More Moroi mixed with dhampirs. And–I was shocked to discover–humans. These weren't feeders either. Well, not in the sense that I knew feeders. Even in the dark, I could see glimpses of bite marks along some of the humans' necks, but judging by their curious expressions, I could tell these people didn't give blood regularly. They weren't high. They were mixed in among the Moroi and dhampirs, sitting, standing, talking, engaging–the whole group clearly unified in some kind of community. I wondered if these humans were like the Alchemists. Maybe they had some sort of a business relationship with my kind. The tight formation around us began to spread out, and I moved closer to Sydney. â€Å"What in God's name is all this?' â€Å"The Keepers,' she said in a low voice. â€Å"Keepers? What does that mean?' â€Å"It means,' said the bearded Moroi, â€Å"that unlike your people, we still keep the old ways, the way we truly should.' I eyed these â€Å"Keepers' in their worn clothes and the dirty, barefoot children. Reflecting upon how far we were from civilization–and based on how dark it was away from the fire–I was willing to bet they didn't have electricity. I was on the verge of saying that I didn't think this was how anyone should truly be living. Then, remembering the casual way these people had spoken about fights to the death, I decided to keep my views to myself. â€Å"Why are they here, Raymond?' asked a woman sitting by the fire. She was human but spoke to the bearded Moroi in a perfectly ordinary and familiar way. It wasn't the dreamy manner a feeder usually used with a Moroi. It wasn't even like the stilted conversations my kind had with the Alchemists. â€Å"Are they joining us?' Raymond shook his head. â€Å"No. The Tainted are after them for killing their queen.' Sydney elbowed me before I could deny the claim. I clenched my teeth, waiting to be mobbed. Instead, I was surprised to find the crowd looking at me with a mix of awe and admiration, just as our welcoming party had. â€Å"We're giving them refuge,' explained Raymond. He beamed at us, though I didn't know if his approval came from us being murderers or if he simply liked the attention he was getting. â€Å"Although, you are welcome to join us and live here. We have room in the caves.' Caves? I jerked my head toward the cliffs beyond the fire, realizing now what those black holes were. Even as I watched, a few people retiring for the night crawled off and disappeared into the dark depths of the mountain. Sydney answered while I worked to keep a look of horror off my face. â€Å"We only need to stay here †¦' She faltered, not surprising considering how sketchy our plans had become. â€Å"A couple days, probably.' â€Å"You can stay with my family,' said Raymond. â€Å"Even you.' That was directed toward Sydney, and he made it sound like quite the favor. â€Å"Thank you,' she said. â€Å"We'd be grateful to spend the night at your house.' The emphasis on the last word was for me, I realized. The wooden structures along the dusty path didn't look luxurious by any stretch of the imagination, but I'd take one over a cave any day. The village or commune or whatever was getting increasingly excited as our novelty sank in. They bombarded us with a flurry of questions, starting with ordinary things like our names but moving quickly on to specific details about how exactly I'd killed Tatiana. I was saved from having to answer when the human woman who had spoken to Raymond earlier jumped up and steered my threesome away. â€Å"Enough,' she said, chastising the others. â€Å"It's getting late, and I'm sure our guests are hungry.' I was starving, actually, but didn't know if I was in dire enough straits to eat opossum stew or whatever passed as food around here. The woman's proclamation was met with some disappointment, but she assured the others they could talk to us tomorrow. Glancing around, I saw a faint purpling of what must have been the eastern sky. Sunrise. A group of Moroi clinging to â€Å"traditional' ways would most certainly run on a nocturnal schedule, meaning these people probably only had a few more hours before bedtime. The woman said her name was Sarah and led us down the dusty path. Raymond called that he'd see us soon. As we walked, we saw other people wandering near scattered, ramshackle homes, on their way to bed or possibly woken up with all the commotion. Sarah glanced over at Sydney. â€Å"Did you bring us anything?' â€Å"No,' said Sydney. â€Å"I'm just here to escort them.' Sarah looked disappointed but nodded. â€Å"An important task.' Sydney frowned and appeared even more uneasy. â€Å"How long has it been since my people brought you anything?' â€Å"A few months,' said Sarah after a moment's thought. Sydney's expression darkened at this, but she said no more. Sarah finally took us inside one of the larger and nicer looking of the houses, though it was still plain and made of unpainted wooden boards. The inside was pitch black, and we waited as Sarah lit old-fashioned lanterns. I'd been right. No electricity. This suddenly made me wonder about plumbing. The floors were hardwood like the walls and covered in large, brightly patterned rugs. We appeared to be in some hybrid kitchen-living-dining room. There was a large fireplace in the center, a wooden table and chairs on one side, and large cushions on the other that I presumed served as sofas. Racks of drying herbs hung near the fireplace, filling the room with a spicy scent that mingled with the smell of burnt wood. There were three doors in the back wall, and Sarah nodded to one. â€Å"You can sleep in the girls' room,' she said. â€Å"Thanks,' I said, not sure I really wanted to see what our guest accommodations were like. I was already missing the MOTEL. I studied Sarah curiously. She looked to be about Raymond's age and wore a plain, knee-length blue dress. Her blond hair was pulled back and tied at her neck, and she seemed short to me the way all humans did. â€Å"Are you Raymond's housekeeper?' It was the only role I could deduce for her. She had a few bite marks but obviously wasn't a feeder. At least not a full-time one. Maybe around here, feeders doubled as household help. She smiled. â€Å"I'm his wife.' It was a mark of my self-control that I managed any sort of response. â€Å"Oh.' Sydney's sharp eyes fell on me, a warning in them: Let it go. I again clenched my jaw shut and gave her a brief nod to let her know I understood. Except, I didn't understand. Dhampirs and Moroi hooked up all the time. Dhampirs had to. More permanent liaisons were scandalous–but not completely out of the realm of possibility. But Moroi and humans? That was beyond comprehension. Those races hadn't gotten together in centuries. They'd produced dhampirs long ago, but as the modern world progressed, Moroi had completely withdrawn from intermingling (in an intimate way) with humans. We lived among them, sure. Moroi and dhampirs worked alongside humans out in the world, bought houses in their neighborhoods, and apparently had bizarre arrangements with secret societies like the Alchemists. And, of course, Moroi fed from humans–and that was the thing. If you kept a human close to you, it was because they were a feeder. That was your level of intimacy. Feeders were food, pure and simple. Well-treated food, yes, but not food you became friends with. A Moroi having sex with a dhampir? Racy. A Moroi having sex with a dhampir and drinking blood? Dirty and humiliating. A Moroi having sex with a human–with or without blood drinking? Incomprehensible. There were few things that shocked me or gave me offense. I was pretty liberal in my views when it came to romance, but the idea of human and Moroi marriage blew me away. It didn't matter if the human was a type of feeder–as Sarah appeared to be–or someone â€Å"above' that like Sydney. Humans and Moroi didn't get together. It was primitive and wrong, which was why it was no longer done. Well, at least not where I came from. Unlike your people, we still follow the old ways. The funny thing was that no matter how wrong I thought all this was, Sydney had to feel even more strongly about it with her vampire hang-ups. I supposed she'd been prepared, however, which is why she could manage that cool expression of hers. She hadn't been blindsided like Dimitri and me, because I felt with some certainty that he shared my feelings. He was just better at hiding surprise. A commotion at the door startled me out of my shock. Raymond had arrived and wasn't alone. A dhampir boy of about eight or so sat on his shoulders, and a Moroi girl about the same age scurried alongside them. A pretty Moroi woman who looked to be in her twenties followed, and behind her was a cute dhampir guy who couldn't have been more than a couple years older than me, if not exactly my age. Introductions followed. The children were Phil and Molly, and the Moroi woman was named Paulette. They all appeared to live there, but I couldn't exactly figure out the relationships, except for the guy my age. He was Raymond and Sarah's son, Joshua. He had a ready smile for all of us–especially me and Sydney–and eyes that reminded me of the piercing, crystalline blue of the Ozeras. Only, whereas Christian's family tended to have dark hair, Joshua's was a sandy blond with lighter gold highlights. I had to admit, it was an attractive combination, but that stunned part of my brain reminded me again that he'd been born from a human-Moroi hookup, not a dhampir and Moroi like me. The end product was the same, but the means were bizarre. â€Å"I'm putting them in your room,' Sarah told Paulette. â€Å"The rest of you can share the loft.' It took me a moment to realize â€Å"the rest of you' meant Paulette, Joshua, Molly, and Phil. Glancing up, I saw there was indeed what looked like a loft space covering half the house's width. It didn't look big enough for four people. â€Å"We don't want to inconvenience you,' said Dimitri, sharing my thoughts. He'd been silent for almost all of this wood-land adventure, saving his energy for actions, not words. â€Å"We'll be fine out here.' â€Å"Don't worry about it,' said Joshua, again giving me that pretty smile. â€Å"We don't mind. Angeline won't either.' â€Å"Who?' I asked. â€Å"My sister.' I repressed a grimace. Five of them crammed up there so that we could have a room. â€Å"Thank you,' said Sydney. â€Å"We appreciate it. And we really won't be staying long.' Their dislike of the vampire world aside, Alchemists could be polite and charming when they chose. â€Å"Too bad,' said Joshua. â€Å"Stop flirting, Josh,' said Sarah. â€Å"Do you three want something to eat before bed? I could warm up some stew. We had it earlier with some of Paulette's bread.' At the word stew, all my opossum fears came racing back. â€Å"No need,' I said hastily. â€Å"I'd just be fine with bread.' â€Å"Me too,' said Dimitri. I wondered if he was trying to reduce their work or if he shared my food fears. Probably not the latter. Dimitri seemed like the kind of guy you could throw into the wilderness and he would survive off anything. Paulette had apparently baked a lot of bread, and they let us have a picnic in our small little room with a full loaf and a bowl of butter that Sarah had probably churned herself. The room was about the size of my dorm room at St. Vladimir's, with two down stuffed mattresses on the floor. Quilts neatly covered them, quilts that probably hadn't been used in months with these temperatures. Munching on a piece of bread that was surprisingly good, I ran my hand over one of the quilts. â€Å"It reminds me of some of the designs I saw in Russia,' I said. Dimitri studied the pattern too. â€Å"Similar. But not quite the same.' â€Å"It's the evolution of the culture,' said Sydney. She was tired but not enough to abandon textbook mode. â€Å"Traditional Russian patterns brought over and eventually fused with a typical Americana patchwork quilt form.' Whoa. â€Å"Um, good to know.' The family had left us alone while they got ready for bed, and I eyed our cracked door warily. With the noise and activity out there, it seemed unlikely we'd be overheard, but I lowered my voice anyway. â€Å"Are you ready to explain who the hell these people are?' She shrugged. â€Å"The Keepers.' â€Å"Yeah, I got that. And we're the Tainted. Sounds like a better name for Strigoi.' â€Å"No.' Sydney leaned back against the wooden wall. â€Å"Strigoi are the Lost. You're Tainted because you joined the modern world and left behind their backward ways for your own messed up customs.' â€Å"Hey,' I retorted. â€Å"We're not the ones with overalls and banjos.' â€Å"Rose,' chastised Dimitri, with a pointed look at the door. â€Å"Be careful. And besides, we only saw one person in overalls.' â€Å"If it makes you feel better,' said Sydney, â€Å"I think your ways are better. Seeing humans mixing with all this †¦' The pleasant and professional face she had shown to the Keepers was gone. Her blunt nature was back. â€Å"It's disgusting. No offense.' â€Å"None taken,' I said with a shiver. â€Å"Trust me, I feel the same way. I can't believe †¦ I can't believe they live like that.' She nodded, seeming grateful I shared her view. â€Å"I like you guys sticking with your own kind better. Except †¦' â€Å"Except what?' I prodded. She looked sheepish. â€Å"Even if the people you come from don't marry humans, you do still interact with them and live in their cities. These guys don't.' â€Å"Which Alchemists prefer,' guessed Dimitri. â€Å"You don't approve of this group's customs, but you do like having them conveniently stashed out of mainstream society.' Sydney nodded. â€Å"The more vampires who stay off on their own in the woods, the better–even if their lifestyle is crazy. These guys keep to themselves–and keep others out.' â€Å"Through hostile means?' I asked. We'd been met by a war party, and she'd expected it. All of them had been ready to fight: Moroi, dhampir, and human. â€Å"Hopefully not too hostile,' she said evasively. â€Å"They let you through,' said Dimitri. â€Å"They know the Alchemists. Why did Sarah ask about you bringing them things?' â€Å"Because that's what we do,' she said. â€Å"Every so often for groups like these, we drop off supplies–food for everyone, medicine for the humans.' Again, I heard that derision in her voice, but then she turned uneasy. â€Å"The thing is, if Sarah's right, they could be due for an Alchemist visit. That would just be our luck to be here when that happens.' I was going to reassure her that we only needed to lie low a couple days when an earlier phrase tugged at me. â€Å"Wait. You said â€Å"groups like these.' How many of these commune things are out there?' I turned to Dimitri. â€Å"This isn't like the Alchemists, is it? Something only some of you know about that you're keeping from the rest of us?' He shook his head. â€Å"I'm as astonished by all of this as you are.' â€Å"Some of your leaders probably know about the Keepers in a vague way,' said Sydney. â€Å"But no details. No locations. These guys hide themselves pretty well and can move on a moment's notice. They stay away from your people. They don't like your people.' I sighed. â€Å"Which is why they won't turn us in. And why they're so excited I might have killed Tatiana. Thanks for that, by the way.' Sydney wasn't apologetic in the least. â€Å"It gets us protection. Such as it is.' She stifled a yawn. â€Å"But for now? I'm exhausted. I'm not going to be able to follow anyone's crazy plans–yours or Abe's–if I don't get some sleep.' I'd known she was tired, but only now did the extent of it hit me. Sydney wasn't like us. We needed sleep but had the endurance to put it off if needed. She'd been up all night and forced into some situations that were definitely outside of her comfort zone. She looked like she could fall asleep against the wall then and there. I turned to Dimitri. He was already looking at me. â€Å"Shifts?' I asked. I knew neither one of us would allow our group to stay unguarded in this place, even if we were allegedly queen-killing heroes. He nodded. â€Å"You go first, and I'll–‘ The door was flung open, and both Dimitri and I nearly leapt up to attack. A dhampir girl stood there, glaring at all of us. She was a couple years younger than me, about the age of my friend Jill Mastrano, a student back at St. Vladimir's who wanted to be a Moroi fighter. This girl looked like she did too, just by her stance alone. She possessed the strong, lean build most dhampirs had, her whole body braced like it might tackle any one of us. Her hair was stick-straight to her waist, a dark auburn that had picked up gold and copper highlights from the sun. She had the same blue eyes as Joshua. â€Å"So,' she said. â€Å"You're the big heroes taking my room.' â€Å"Angeline?' I guessed, remembering Joshua mentioning his sister. She narrowed her eyes, not liking that I knew who she was. â€Å"Yes.' She studied me unflinchingly and didn't seem to approve of what she found. That sharp gaze flicked to Dimitri next. I expected a softening, expected her to fall prey to his good looks the way most women did. But, no. He received suspicion as well. Her attention turned back to me. â€Å"I don't believe it,' she declared. â€Å"You're too soft. Too prim.' Prim? Really? I didn't feel that way, not in my battle-scarred jeans and T-shirt. Looking at her attire, I could maybe understand the attitude, though. Her clothes were clean, but her jeans had been around a while, both knees worn to threads. The shirt was a plain, off-white tank top that had a homemade feel. I didn't know if it had originally been white. Maybe I was prim by comparison. Of course, if anyone deserved the title of prim, it would be Sydney. Her clothes would've passed at a business meeting, and she hadn't been in any fights or jail-breaks recently. Angeline hadn't even given her a second glance, though. I was getting the feeling Alchemists were in a strange category around here, a different type of human from the ones who intermarried with the Keepers. Alchemists brought supplies and left. They were almost a type of feeder to these people, really, which boggled the mind. The Keepers had more respect for the types of humans my culture looked down on. Regardless, I didn't know what to say to Angeline. I didn't like being called soft or having my battle prowess called into question. A spark of my temper flared, but I refused to cause trouble by getting in a fight with our host's daughter, nor was I going to start making up details about Tatiana's murder. I simply shrugged. â€Å"Looks are deceiving,' I said. â€Å"Yes,' Angeline said coolly. â€Å"They are.' She stalked over to a small chest in the corner and pulled out what looked like a nightgown. â€Å"You better not mess up my bed,' she warned me. She glanced over at Sydney, sitting on the other mattress. â€Å"I don't care what you do to Paulette's.' â€Å"Is Paulette your sister?' I asked, still trying to put this family together. There didn't seem to be anything I could say that wouldn't offend this girl. â€Å"Of course not,' Angeline snapped, slamming the door as she left. I stared at it in astonishment. Sydney yawned and stretched out on her bed. â€Å"Paulette is probably Raymond's †¦ eh, I don't know. Mistress. Concubine.' â€Å"What?' I exclaimed. A Moroi married to a human and having an affair with a Moroi. I wasn't sure how much more I could take. â€Å"Living with his family?' â€Å"Don't ask me to explain it. I don't want to know any more about your twisted ways than I have to.' â€Å"It's not my way,' I retorted. Sarah came shortly thereafter to apologize for Angeline and see if we needed anything else. We assured her we were fine and thanked her profusely for her hospitality. Once she was gone, Dimitri and I set up sleeping shifts. I would have rather we both stayed on alert, particularly since I felt pretty sure Angeline would slit someone's throat in their sleep. But, we needed rest and knew we'd both react promptly if anyone came busting down our door. So, I let Dimitri take the first watch while I snuggled into Angeline's bed and tried not to â€Å"mess it up.' It was surprisingly comfortable. Or, maybe I was just that tired. I was able to let go of my worries about execution, lost siblings, and vampire hillbillies. Deep sleep wrapped around me, and I began to dream †¦ but not just any dream. It was a shifting of my inner world, the sense of being both in and out of reality. I was being pulled into a spirit-induced dream. Adrian! The thought excited me. I'd missed him and was eager to talk to someone directly after all that had happened at Court. There hadn't been much time to talk during my escape, and after this bizarre backwoods world I'd stumbled into, I really needed some piece of normality and civilization around me. The dream's world began to form around me, growing clearer and clearer. It was a location I'd never seen, a formal parlor with chairs and couches covered in lavender paisley cushions. Oil paintings lined the walls, and there was a large harp in the corner. I'd learned long ago that there was no predicting where Adrian would send me–or what he'd make me wear. Fortunately, I was in jeans and a T-shirt, my blue nazar hanging around my neck. I turned around anxiously, looking for him so that I could give him a giant hug. Yet, as my eyes searched the room, it wasn't Adrian's face I suddenly found myself looking into. It was Robert Doru's. And Victor Dashkov was with him.

Company Analysis of Tesco

Company Analysis of Tesco Introduction The purpose of this report is to analyze internal opportunities and threats, external strengths and weakness, vision statement and mission statement of Tesco Corporation, example of achieved mission, and recommendation of strategies to develop the organization in future.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Company Analysis of Tesco specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Background of Tesco Corporation Tesco Plc. is the giant of global glossary chain shop operating in fourteen countries and considered as the third largest player in terms of revenue generation. The company originated in UK in 1919 as small grosser and now turned into FTSE 100 Company listed in the LSE annual revenue of  £ 60.93 billion and £ 2.67 billion Net income accounted in 2011. Tesco possesses 2,715 outlets in UK occupying Total area 3,411,586 sq meter space while the company has diversified its business in telecommunication, banking, ICT , club card, beauty salon film producing gold trading and many more sectors with successful record of accomplishment. The company has 2,665 stores with 70,718,000 sq. meter floor space worldwide excluding the total number of UK stores, while the numbers of outlets have been increasing with a remarkable rate of expansion. Tesco’s expansion strategy, strong organisational structure, and core business concept those are the facts that provided the competitive advantages that no other competitors can bid. There are a number of complain about the Tesco’s corporate governance, tax manipulation and corporate social responsibility including workplace environment in third world factories but above all Tesco turned in to a power of the UK society that may not be depress the business environment. However, the following table gives more information about the company List Some Key Features About the Company Stores Tesco has about 4,331 Stores all over the world and among the m 2,306 stores in the national market, 571 stores in Thailand, and 319 stores in Poland to offer wide range of products and services to the target customers Employees Tesco has more than 472000 employees all over the world and it is going to recruit more staff to operate the business more smoothly Tesco Personal Finance It is a combination of the Banking and Insurance service that started operation initially only in UK and in 2003, Tesco decided to buy the 50% share of Royal Bank of Scotland of  £950 million to own the total share of TPF Food It is the largest business segment for Tesco as it offers 40000 food products, such as – 400 ‘Healthy Living’ products which are low in fat and sodium 150 ‘Free From’ product to make life easier for customers with food allergies and intolerances In addition, it offers 40 Special healthy Kids snacks and 1,200 Organic product lines Table 1: Products and services of Tesco Source: Self generated from T esco (1)Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More SWOT Analysis of Tesco Corporation: Strengths: Brand Awareness: the main strength of Tesco is the brand awareness of the company as it is the largest grocer of UK and the third largest grocery retailer of the world; Employees: The company has more than 4,72,000 highly educated, enough efficient, and good manner employees including 12 international markets, and it has plan to increase 16,000 employees within very short time; Rapid growth: the market share is growing very rapidly throughout the UK and outside market, for example, according to the report of Datamonitor (14), this company hold 13% market share of the UK retail superstores market. At the same time, market growth of few segments like Tesco personal Finance is outstanding in the local market, Toyota Lotus in Thailand has delivered strong growth in spite of recess ion and adverse political situation, Tesco in Slovakia saw excellent growth, and Malaysia has had an exceptional year though this was not a potential market for Tesco from 2001 Asian crisis; Financial position: Tesco is happy with its performance in recent years as many company suffered huge loss and some companies needed government support but Tesco continues with its own financial strength and never faced loss though the earning has decreased from few segments. In addition, it has strong liquidity percentage and strong asset utilization and managerial efficiency; however, the following figure shows that the share price of the company is quite position in London Stock Exchange Figure 1: Basic Chart of Tesco for 2007 to 2011-05-02 Source: Yahoo Finance (1) Variables 2010 ( £ million) 2009 ( £ million) 2008 ( £ million) 2007 ( £ million) Total assets 46,023 45,564 30,164 24,807 Total liabilities 31,427 32,715 18,349 14,301 Total revenue 56,910 53,898 47,298 42,641 Gross Profit 4,607 4,185 3,630 3,240 Total Operating Costs 53,878 50,940 44,648 40,274 Operating Income or Loss 3,032 2,958 2,650 2,367 Net Income 2,327 2,133 2,124 1,892 Table 2: Financial Overview of Tesco Source: Self generated from Tesco (130) and Yahoo Finance (1) Corporate governance system: many large company has collapsed due to lack of the practice of corporate governance practice but Tesco never faced such position as all the members of board of directors, and auditors are worked with integrity and for the development of the company; Market leader: Tesco was successful to become the market leader in the UK, Technology: It has advance technological support to enhance its profits from its products and service area; as a result, it can offer online purchasing facilities, online baking facilities and maintain customer relation by using advance technology. Shareholders: Shareholders are a key strength of the company as they are generating the ultimate investment ca pacity for the company; however, they consider following factors to invest Tesco Plc 2010 ( £ million) 2009 ( £ million) 2008 ( £ million) 2007 ( £ million) Current Assets 11,765 13,479 6,300 4,576 Current Liabilities 16,015 17,595 10,263 8,152 Working capital = (current assets – current liabilities) 11,765 16,015 = -4250 13,479 17,595 = -4116 6,300 10,263 = -3,963 4,576 8,152 = -3,576 current ratio = Total current assets/ current liabilities 11,765 / 16,015 = 0.73462379 13647 / 18040 = 0.756485588 5992 / 10263 = 0.58384488 4168 / 8158 = 0.511285574 Basic EPS 14.78p 12.97p 26.95p 23.61p Table 3: Ratio analysis of Tesco Source: Self generatedAdvertising We will write a custom report sample on Company Analysis of Tesco specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Product range: according to the annual report 2009, this company offers wide range of products and services including insurance facilities and credit purchasing facilities. In addition, Tesco personal finance is achieving more and more milestones besides retail services; such as, in 2003 the insurance service achieved 1 million motor insurance policies and other segments like Credit cards, savings, deposit schemes, pet insurance, travel insurance and life insurance are continuously escalating its potential to offer fully operated banking service; Leadership: On the other hand, Tesco has achieved this success for the continuous efforts and capabilities of its top management team, including the CEO of Tesco Terry Leahy who has taken many decisions to increase its performance in global market Tesco’s UK sales are now 71% larger than Sainsbury’s; Quality: Moreover, Tesco always offer high quality products and services for the customer as the company would like create strong loyal customer base. Weaknesses: Dependence on the UK market: Datamonitor (16) reported that Tesco is mostly depends on the UK market (as more th at 73.8% of its revenue generates from the market); Media: Interference of media some time creates hindrance of the business, for instance, the UK TV broadcasted in a documentary on Tesco’s corporate social responsibility and poor personnel morale on the employees by claiming that Tesco encouraged child labour in order to offer low price to the customer. For instance, one of the major sales product of Tesco is Jeans at $4 for rough use and Tesco advertise that purchase our useable low cost Jeans instead of waste money for washing powder, but media claimed that Tesco can offer at $4 only exploit the child labour of Bangladesh. On the other hand, the CEO of Tesco stated that they have no responsibility about their supplier as Tesco never suggest to exploit child labour to reduce production cost, and he further added that they visited the garments of the supplier but found no child labour; Reduction of debt: Tesco’s aggressive expansion strategy limits the corporation to expend money except investing; as a result, debt reduction became problematic, which may adversely affect on the company. Opportunities: Advantage from Recession: Tesco can take advantage of recent economic downturns by changing its strategies; for instance, it can sustain as a global leader by reducing costs, offering at lower price, pushing on with expansion, and increasing total assets value; for example, Tesco (9) reported that the price of land and property has decreased significantly due to recession. International Growth: Tesco personal Finance initially offers online banking facilities only in the national market but Tesco has the opportunity to expand the operation of this segment in international market as it was most successful segment in recessionary period in national market; Health: The sales revenue from health care and beauty products is increasing in the UK market as Tesco is the market leader in both toiletries and healthcare retail sectors along with baby goods markets; therefore, Tesco invests regularly to develop this sectors so it has 19 stores with opticians and almost 200 stores with pharmacies; Further Expansion: According to the annual report of Tesco, it has earned a significant profit from international market particularly from the Korean market; as it can consider further expansion with it various types of new services along with the existing services in Asian, European and American countries; Non-food Retail: The management team of Tesco confirmed that they would continue non-food retail segment as it has generated 23% share from this segment in 2004, Other: Tesco has efficient employees to boost the profit, and it has been experienced satisfactory profit margin all over from retail services those open new dimension to start new business or expand existing business. Threats: Major Competitors: The main threat in retail business of Tesco is the strong competitors of national and international market, for instance, ASDA is the s ubsidiary of Wal-Mart has large market share in the UK market. At the same time, Sainsbury PLC and Morrisons have huge participation in the market those change companies’ strategies regularly in order to develop the market position and gain competitive advantages over the Tesco Plc; Expatriates Management: Tesco has always eager to expand its business all over the world by opening their subsidiary; as a result, the company need to recruit a significant number of employees from the home countries of subsidiary. However, the top management of parent company would like to train all employees to develop their communicational skills to increase sales in international market, but many employees leave their job if they get job at home; therefore, retention of employees is a great challenge for Tesco; Global financial crisis: Tesco has experienced huge lose from some international zone due to the adverse impact of the global financial crisis though net profit has increased each year. In addition, Tesco’s annual sales revenue from few products and service was not outstanding in the UK and global market considering the performance of previous year and investment because the purchasing power of the customer has reduced and they mainly purchased necessary products; Customer Buying behaviour: frequent change of customer mind regarding the product selection is also problem for the retail customer; Price War: As price is the prime attraction that clasps the customer’s attention and primarily inspires them to engage with the promotions carried out; therefore, all competitors try to make sure that the pricing is in fact attractive to the targeted customers, which is one of major challenges for the Tesco Plc; for example, Datamonitor (17) reported that Morrison reduced Safeway’s prices by up to 6%; International expansion: Tesco needs huge amount of investment to enter international market and it has to face high competition in outside of the UK mark et; as a result, Tesco has not generated satisfactory profits from some Asian countries; Other: Natural crisis, foreign direct investment policy of overseas government, unfriendly approach of the government of international market, instable political condition of certain area, factors related with taxation policy, and entry barriers, local regulation and listing requirements have influence on Tesco’s operation in global market. The vision statement and mission statement of Tesco The Vision Statement of Tesco A vision statement is an inspirational explanation of what a business would like to attain or bring about in the mid term or long-standing future it has deliberated to provide an apparent direction for selecting present and upcoming patterns of actions for the company in order to gain the advantage of the market throughout its operational period. However, the main vision of Tesco is to create value for clients to gain their lifetime loyalty by concentrating on the custo mers, understanding and fulfilling their needs and showing responsibility on the community. This company has some other long-tem objectives to achieve the core vision such as Tesco ensures equal opportunity for all employees to get highest outcomes from them, provides guidance to work like a team, and develops mutual understanding by exchanging their views to give the highest satisfaction to the customers. This statement also pointed out that all workers would be treated as part of a large family that indicates Tesco always create excellent environment for the staff to jointly work together as a team member, where they enjoy equal opportunities in terms of salary, pension, leave, and other job facilities. The Mission Statement of Tesco Mission statements are printed assertions of businesses’ central goal and objective that usually stays unaltered over time, acting as sifts to distinguish what is imperative, affirming which markets to penetrate, and transmit a sense of deliber ated roadmap to the whole business; moreover, a mission is something to be accomplished, whereas a vision is something to be pursued for that accomplishment. The mission of Tesco has designed considering the vision statement that is â€Å"to create value for lifetime customer† and the mission of the company is to survive as a market leader in the global financial crisis by offering the best products at lower price to retaining loyal customers. However, this mission statement mainly focused on three short time objectives those are interrelated, such as Overcome from the adverse impact of global financial crisis The customers will come again and again Offer lower price than the competitors Mission that achieved by Tesco and Justification Tesco has already achieved three components in the mission statement and the flowing heads discuss about the mission statement and showed justification about the findings–Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Market leader in recession: One of the greatest missions of Tesco was to sustain in the UK market as market leader in the adverse economic environment. According to the annual report 2009 of Tesco, Figure 2: Basic Chart for Tesco Plc vs. Sainsbury Source: Yahoo finance (1) However, the above figure compares the financial position between Tesco Plc and Sainsbury in the stock market, and it represents that Tesco’s share price is much better than Sainsbury’s position in London Stock Exchange (LSE). On the other hand, Datamonitor (14) pointed that Tesco’s sales revenue is highest in the UK market and third position in global market and it generated sales revenue is 71% greater than nearest competitor. At the same time, one of the foremost missions of Tesco was to offer products and services at lowest price in order to target all types of customer for those who want to purchase from this company. From the very beginning, this company followed cost effective strategy and the company reduced its price at highest level in order to protect competitors to capture while it found that competitors is going to draw attention of the customer by their special offer at low price. In order to offer lower price, Tesco has to create strong supply chain by maintaining good relationship with the suppliers, and the management of the company always try to find out low cost suppliers who would provide quality products, such as, Bangladeshi readymade garments suppliers has fame to provide high quality products with low price. On the other hand, Tesco has successfully create large loyal customer base in national and international market by implementing its low cost strategies and it also concentrates on the cultural factors to operate its outlet in foreign countries, which also help the company to retain customers. For instance, the trading conditions of South Korea, China, Ireland have deteriorated due to global financial crisis but the company was reduced operati ng costs and the price of the products, which balance the profitability level as the customers are loyal; as a result, this company regain its market position in those areas within very short period. Suggested Strategies to Tesco for future development This report scrutinise the present strategies of Tesco to recommend the most suitable strategies those the company should follow in near future and this report also suggests some strategies in light of some effective strategic tools to gain competitive advantage over competitors. Ansoff Matrix for Tesco According to the annual report 2009 of Tesco, this company has already positioned it as the UK market leader in retail business and it is in the third position in global market; as a result, it would be easy for Tesco to consider this strategy to develop its business at existing or new market. However, the following figure shows the Ansoff Matrix for Tesco Market penetration: This strategy concentrates on the development of existing products at existing market and it is an effective strategy for Tesco since the customers of existing markets would like its products because they are loyal customers and company has strong brand image, low price and high quality. However, the flowing figure shows the sales of its existing products in existing markets Figure 3: Sales by region Source: Tesco (9) Market Development: Tesco has business operation in 14 countries; therefore, its existing products and service range has bright prospect in other developed countries in the world. In order develop markets in European or Asian countries, Tesco should apply this strategy with their regular price offer as pricing is one of the important factors to the customer as well as company. Figure 4: Ansoff Matrix Source: Self generated from Kotler Armstrong (221) Product Development: Johnson, Kevan and Richard (29) argued that this strategy indicates new product development in existing market and this strategy is effective for the future prospect Tesco. However, Tesco has already developed 500 new products for the UK market in the recessionary period as part of its ‘Discount Brands at Tesco’ initiative, and This company introduced 27 new items for the Malaysia’s stores; Diversification: Tesco should not drive to follow this strategy in this stage, as new products development in existing market is profitable but it not always easy for retailers to develop new product for new markets; however, Tesco can expand its operation in the new areas with existing products. Porters Generic Strategies Cost Leadership Strategy: Tesco always offers lowest price to the target customers, such as, its overall food price has fallen more than 17% from 2000 to 2006 and Tesco restructure its pricing strategy in the period global financial crisis to cut production costs to provide lowest price in the market. At the same time, Tesco should carry on this strategy as market is highly competitive where pricing is the prime factor to retain customers; however, the following figure demonstrates decreasing price in food sector Figure 5: Trend in real food prices since 2000 Source: Tesco (1) Differential strategy: from the above discussion, it is clear that this strategy is fruitful for Tesco as it always eager to offer new products for the national and international customers; therefore, in 2009 it introduces 500 products to save the company from recession; Focus Strategy: As this strategy refers to focus on a narrower market segment through achieving cost advantages, Tesco should not follow this strategy. Lynch’s Expansion Method Matrix This expansion matrix is the process by which the company can select appropriate route of entry; as a result, Tesco can increase its market share both in national and global market by adopting subsequent methods, for example, merger, Acquisition, Joint Venture, alliance, etc. The following diagram shows the expansion method with more information Figure 6: Expansion Method Matrix Sources: Self generated Current Market: According to the annual report 2009 of Tesco, this company is more concentrates on the UK market expansion as more than 70% of its total profit is generated from this market. However, Tesco is increasing its number of outlets in local as well as other 13 countries where it has operation, for instance, in 2008 and 2009, its total stores were 2318 stores and 4331 stores accordingly, but it has now more than 5380 outlets in the current 14 market place, which demonstrates that this is an effective strategy for Tesco. However, the above figure demonstrates some expansion strategy for Tesco to expand the business (such as International, Core UK, Non-food, Retailing Services, and Community) in current national and international market; New Market: It is important to mention that Tesco has business operation only on 14 countries though Tesco is one of the most successful companies in international market. As a resu lt, it should start operation in new zone for example it can start operation in Singapore and Hong Kong as Tesco has experienced to operate successfully in Chinese market and Korean market; however, it can develop its market by joint venturing with local competitors or applying other mode of entry strategies. Datamonitor. Tesco a Corporate Profile. 2004. Web. http://people.exeter.ac.uk/wl203/BEAM011/Materials/Lecture%204/TESCO%20Company%20Profile.pdf. Johnson, Gerry, Kevan Scholes and Richard Whittington. Exploring Corporate Strategy: Text Cases. London: FT Prentrice Hall, 2008. Print. Kotler, Philip, and Armstrong Gary. Principles of Marketing. New Delhi: Prentice-Hall, 2006. Print. Tesco. Annual report 2009 of Tesco. 2009. Web. Tesco. Low prices everywhere. 2011. Web. Yahoo Finance. Basic Chart of Tesco Plc. 2010. Web. Yahoo Finance. Financial Statement of Tesco Plc. 2010. Web.