PARCELFORCE WORLDWIDE - CASE STUDY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

PARCELFORCE WORLDWIDE - CASE STUDY - Essay Example This strategic plan yielded the desired results and the company turned around its operations in four years to register a profit of  £15 million. The formulation of turnaround plan of the company followed the gamut of strategic planning. It began with the formulation of mission and vision followed by environmental scanning and assessment, setting objectives and formulation of strategies. The company followed the differentiation strategy with customer orientation as its main theme. The implementation was done through a Management Information System with focus on outcomes and performance drivers similar to the Balanced Scorecard. Parcelforce Worldwide is a part of the Royal Mail Group Ltd. Royal Mail Group has three main operating brands; The Post Office Ltd, which provides counter services to the high street customer, Royal Mail, which manages the delivery of letters and packets and Parcelforce Worldwide, which provides express parcel delivery services for businesses and consumers. It has 23 partners across 30 European countries and access to Postal Administrations through the Universal Postal Union. It operates: The Company registered a loss of  £200 million in the year 2001 and then launched a strategic plan hinging on customer oriented strategies. This strategic plan yielded the desired results and the company turned around its operations in four years to register a profit of  £15 million. The strategy that emerged from their turnaround deliberations was differentiation with Customer Service as an important theme. The entire gamut of planning for turnaround began with the statement of vision and mission followed by Environmental Scanning and assessment, formulation of objectives and strategy evolution. The Corporate Vision is a compelling story about the story of the company. It is figurative rather than literal. It should be dramatic, enduring and compelling. The vision should make

Cripple Essay Example for Free

Cripple Essay Often times, people with disabilities feel sorrow and unfortunate. Nancy Mairs faces sclerosis, a serious condition that limits her ability to do regular, everyday tasks. In her essay, Mairs stresses the meaning of the word â€Å"cripple† to the point in which she defines her own meaning of the term. With the use of rhetorical strategies, Mairs presents herself as a strong, proud individual despite her disabilities. Mairs’ specific language choice reveals that she is not ashamed of her condition. She begins by explaining the first impression of the word â€Å"cripple. † She says, â€Å"People—crippled or not—wince at the word ‘cripple†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬ (line 8). Mairs purposely uses the word â€Å"wince† to emphasis shock and horror of others’ reaction towards the word â€Å"cripple. † This word choice provides an indication of people’s negative thoughts on the word â€Å"cripple. † In contrast, however, Mairs explains that most people do not react as strongly with the words â€Å"handicapped† or â€Å"disabled. Although others may disagree, Mairs reveals that the word â€Å"cripple† provides a neutral connotation that is appropriate to describe herself: a person with an illness. Later on in the text, Mairs reveals that â€Å"cripple† seems like a â€Å"clean word, straightforward, and precise† (line 15). It is evident that she does not feel the slightest offence of being called a cripple. Instead, she feels that it is the appropriate word that best describes her condition. At the same time, Mairs has strong attachments to â€Å"cripple† in relation to who she is as an individual with such difficulties. Mairs’ use of tone creates a stern, serious, and confident attitude that reflects a prideful feeling of being a â€Å"cripple. † She says, â€Å"Mine is one of them. Whatever you call me, I remain crippled. But I don’t care what you call me, so long as it isn’t ‘differently abled’†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (line 36). Mair’s short sentences evoke a powerful tone that reflects her indifference towards society’s assumption of who she is: a weak, helpless, and unfortunate individual. However, oppositely, she presents herself as a strong, prideful woman. The tone in this passage reveals Mairs’ feelings toward society’s sympathetic attitudes to those that are physically disabled. Clearly, Mairs does not feel bothered by what others think of her. It is apparent that she takes her situation very lightly as long as no one refers to as â€Å"differently abled† because it describes a person without capability. She strongly presents herself proud and independent individual being as opposed to what society assumes her to be. Unlike society’s attitudes towards the disabled, Mairs presents herself with strength and pride regardless of her condition. Throughout her essay, she changes a new meaning of the word â€Å"cripple† from a horrifying meaning to her own, personal definition. As she delivers her point, Mairs feel that the word â€Å"cripple† is a part of her in regard to who she is: a person with in illness. At the same time, Mairs reveals a sense of acceptance of her condition.

Impact of Contemporary Globalisation on Thailand

Impact of Contemporary Globalisation on Thailand Introduction Contemporary globalization is defined as the final wave of globalization, and is characterized by the acceleration and intensification of the technological, cultural, religious, economic and political integration (Gerle 2000). Although this has led to development and advancement in many countries around the world, it has raised issues in many parts of Asia facing religious and social concerns. This essay will argue that contemporary globalization will raise issues in the traditional social and religious visible in two Asian nations, Thailand and Malaysia. The values that will be discussed is in relation to the paper are the Buddhist and Collectivist values for the Thai, and Islamic values for the Malays. Thailand and Malaysia are countries that are similar in the fact that they have both dominant religions that are closely linked with their way of life. Both countries are multiethnic and multicultural but Malaysia has a higher percentage of 50% ethnic Malays and 60% of the country practicing the Islamic faith (Nations Online 2011). In Thailand, it has majority of Thai which is 75% and with 94.6% of the country practicing the Buddhist faith (CIA 2011). First this paper will discuss the conflict that occurs in the business culture of Thailand and Malaysia. Next, it will explain how contemporary globalization is intertwined with popular culture, or ‘pop culture, and has placed a significant Western influence upon the youth of Thailand and Malaysia, and has changed their social ideology compared to the traditional ideology. Finally, the paper will identify how globalization has led to conflict with the conservative religious values that exist in Thailand and Malaysia. Business culture in Thailand and Malaysia The global spread of Multinational companies (MNCs) has led to the popularity of conducting a business in a Western style, which has led to conflict in the traditional Thai and Malay business culture. In research conducted by Niffengger, Kulviwat and Engchancil (2006), traditional Thai business culture is strongly influenced by Buddhism.It explains that business is run in Thailand in a uniquely paternal style, and although the relationship between superior and subordinate is, â€Å"formal and authoritarian, the boss is expected to be benevolent and paternalistic† (Leppert 1996).   An example of how differently a local Thai business operates in comparison to a Western MNCs is visible in the example of the Siam Cement Group in 1998, when they â€Å"reported a loss of 52.5 billion Baht but did not lay off a single one of their 35,000 employees†, while on the other hand, â€Å"Kmart in 2003, laid off 57,000 of their staff to avoid bankruptcy and even closed one thirds of their stores† (Niffengger et al 2006 p. 409). It is just from the fundamental way of operating a business in the West that has come about from contemporary globalization which is very foreign to the Thai, and brings issues in the social and business aspect. For example, sexual equality was not common until the early 20th century due to Western influences upon Thailand and it is still seen as untraditional or unconventional in a traditional Thai business for a woman to be in a managerial level (Thaiways 2002). Through the influences of Western values which has come from contemporary globalization, traditional Thai business values face a dilemma on how to preserve their traditional business culture in the midst of the increasing MNCs. Malaysias business practice bias is visible through the Bumiputra policy, meaning â€Å"sons of the soil†, which is the preferential treatment of the native Malay people. The Bumiputra came about from the New Economy Policy (NEP) in 1971 with goals to alleviate poverty and social and economic imbalances through equity ownership, employment, and other fields. Stoever (1985) explains the fields that ownership of productive resources should be 30% in the Bumiputra hands, for public and private corporations the Bumiputra should be 30% of the employees. Finally, Malays are given other advantages in university admissions, bank loans and credit access. Although the Bumiputra policies are deeply imbedded into the Malaysian business culture, there are numerous ways that the Western practices of business have placed a significant amount of complication in the traditional Malay businesses. The traditional Islamic way of establishing the economy was from, â€Å"the desire to defend Islamic civilization against foreign cultural influences† (Kuran 1995 p.15). However, due to contemporary globalization the influence of the â€Å"Western secular system and capitalistic culture has been slowly adopted by a growing number of Malay business† (Mutalib 1993). The adoption and the continuation of coming into contact with the capitalist business culture of the West will endanger the survival of the Muslim culture, as argued by Al-Maududi (cited in Ahmad 2009), because it may result in complications to differentiate the Western and Muslim mindset and lifestyle. Although Malaysia has a strong protection for the ethnic Malays as seen wi th the Bumiputra policies, the gradual influences of the Western business culture is starting to endanger the security of the Malays and the way they conduct business. Popular Culture in Thailand and Malaysia Advancements in technology allows the Western media to be easily accessed by almost everyone in the nation, which will bring issues with the traditional lifestyle as the youth become more interested in what the Western media brings. Pop culture is commonly connected to cultural imperialism because it the Western film, television programmes, and music is known to impose bourgeois values and capitalist ideology (Berger 2008). There are many causes of the introduction of pop culture and the impact is has placed upon Thailand, like Tourism and Media. Tourism was one of the earliest forms of the introduction of pop culture in Thailand. Westerners make up a significant portion of the Thai tourism industry, and leave an imprint of their culture behind. Thailand has won many tourism awards and is the first in the world for having the Best Tourist country for five consecutive years (Asiativ 2011). However, that has led to a form of ‘neo-colonization in consumerism and tourism. What tourism can do in a political economy approach is that developed metropolitan cities often impose their values on developing countries; in addition, the recipient countries face environmental, social and economic problems (Chang and Raguraman 2001). Furthermore, in order to accommodate the influx of tourism, Bangkok, which is the capital city of Thailand, reformed itself so that it will have an ‘Old Bangkok, where the roya l palace and historic temples are located, and a ‘New Bangkok, where there are numerous shopping malls, hotels, and skyscrapers (Burke, Brash, and Bush 2010). Thailand is slowly losing its traditional characteristics within the cities. Besides tourism, Berger (2008) also added that Thailand was going through rapid modernization and was losing their Thai identity and becoming more ‘Americanized due to the western media. It is telling how from Rodcumdees (2002) research, the media is becoming the most common way for locals to learn more about the West; television being the first and the internet and Western music as the 4th most popular medium. Due to Thailand accommodating tourist needs and influence from Western culture and habits that the tourists leave behind, as well as the accessibility of the Western media, this culminates in the erosion of Thailands authentic and exotic traditional values. Malaysia is also at a similar situation where pop culture influences the youth of the nation, especially for the ethnic Malay population. The Malaysian former Deputy Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim delivered a speech   in The Straits Times (cited in ed. Souchou   2001) where he described his concern of media and technology because, â€Å"in recent years there have been an overwhelming, almost imperialistic diffusion of Western or Western-influenced cultural products.† The issue in Malaysia is that the youth are absorbed in wanting to be like their idols that they see on MTV or eating McDonalds or KFC instead of eating their local delicacies. It is further explained by (Jayne 2003) that it is also partially the state governments responsibility that the youth are being influenced by pop culture because of the lack of support for local pop culture that youths have no other choice but to search for their individuality or values in the western media which is e asily accessible and popular globally. The lack of support for the local pop culture and the accessibility of the Western pop culture through contemporary globalization have caused the Malay youths to wander away from the traditional social values and practices. Way of Life in Thailand and Malaysia Finally, through the discussion of the two different aspects of contemporary globalization, it is significant to discuss the most crucial aspect of how globalization comes into conflict with the traditional way of life of Malaysia and Thailand due to their daily life being intertwined with religion. In Thailand, there is a strong impact of contemporary globalization bringing issues to the traditional way of life for Thailand. The difference between the youth and the older generation as discussed in how pop culture is causing Thailand to lose its religious, cultural, and traditional way of life; moreover, it is leading to more dilemma. The forces of contemporary globalization did not stop at just imposing its Westernized culture, but also spread its influence to hybridizing the Buddhist religion of Thailand, which has caused an uprise and several issues in the nation. It is explained by Kitiarsa (2005) that this ‘hybridization has led to the rise of many public religious movements that are â€Å"responses to the wider, largely economic-impersonal forces of globalization that have profound ramifications for Thai social life.† It is discussed by Geert Hofstedes Cultural Theory that the West and Thailand have a significant difference as to how Buddhism is deeply interwo ven into the way of life for the Thai people (Niffengger et al. 2006). For example, the Thai people believed in the predestination of human life, and how it cannot be altered or changed. However, through Western influence of how an individual has the power to change his or her destiny, this belief is challenged (Thaiways 2002). These Western ways of thinking through contemporary globalization has influenced the traditional Thai values and is shifting the way of life to the people which endanger the preservation of the Thai values.   In Malaysia contemporary globalization is eroding the traditional social values and practices that have flourished in the nation for years. In Malaysia, many Muslims have started to adopt the ‘Hi/Hello culture, which contrasts with the Islamic greeting which is ‘Assalamu Alaikum (May peace be on you) because while the Western greeting does not carry any â€Å"emotional attachment or blessings to someone. The Islamic greeting not only expresses emotional attachment, but also conveys blessings of peace for the person being greeted† (Nurullah 2008 p. 6). Through this influence and visible change in the country, Malaysia is starting to feel a form of threat from this ‘Westernization and is further explored by Gerle (2009) that in Malaysia, the state attempts to â€Å"recreate a Muslim identity in order to protect oneself against the West, in terms of economic dominance as well as values.† However, it is uncertain whether this attempt will succeed or not du e to the wide influence that contemporary globalization already spread itself to. Conclusion The impact that contemporary globalization has on Thailand and Malaysia through the advancement of technology, introduction of foreign companies, and culture can be seen through this essay to be having a significant amount of challenges to the traditional religious and social values. Through the examination of the Buddhist Thai business culture and the Islamic Malay business culture, it is visible that the Western business culture is more individualistic, while the Thai and Malay business culture focuses on conformity, importance of religious practices, and taking care of the business as family. In addition, pop culture has caused the Thai and Malay youths identity to be more ‘Americanized due to the increase of western media and internet access. Finally, the cultural and social practices, and the way of life of the Thai and Malay people is changing due to contemporary globalization like way of speech, daily lifestyles, and changes in their traditional religious practices is starting to distance the people from their traditional way of living. There are attempts taken by the government and people who are passionate in keeping their traditional social and religious values. But from observations of the examples of the impact of contemporary globalization, this seems to be a challenging task indeed.

celebrities :: essays research papers fc

There are many people who believe that celebrities only think about themselves and that they aren’t concerned with anyone else’s problems. To me a Hero is some one that you can look to and who inspirers you to be a better person. A celebrity is someone who gets paid a lot of money to pretend to be a hero. There are many problems that face America today such as hunger, poverty and most importantly War. Contrary to popular belief there are several celebrities who are concerned and that donate millions of dollars to charities and there are some who run their own charities. They include multimillionaire Bill Gates, talk-show host Rosie O’Donnell and Louis Armstrong.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Bill Gates- created charity donates million to fight hepatitis†, is the headline of Hepatitis Weekly magazine. Multimillionaire Bill Gates donated 37.5 million dollars to help treat Hepatitis B in China, where two-thirds of the population is infected with this lethal disease. The money will be used in buying vaccines to immunize newborn children in poor areas. Approximately 400,000 people in China die from liver Cancer and other ailments caused by the disease (Bill 1).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Talk show host Rosie O’Donnell gets 1,000 dollars donated to her charity for every time a guest on her show gives her a kiss. The money is donated from Listerine Mouthwash; they ended up contributing 500,000 dollars to her All For Kids foundation. 200 computers and 50,000 dollars were donated to the Toys for Tots foundation from the chief executive officer of Leap Frog, which is a company that produces computerized toys that teach children math, science and spelling. After September 11, she donated 1 million dollars to the American Red Cross, another million to a fund that benefits the families of firefighters who were killed in the tragedy (Domenica 3).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  His late wife founded the Louis Armstrong Foundation in 1969. The program is designed to help with fostering programs, workshops and lectures on music history. It also helps in funding and supports the Louis Armstrong schools in Queens for musical education, jazz workshops and the school libraries (Louis 3).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, although there are some celebrities who are selfish and don’t care about others, there are some who do. The ones that do, give as much as the can to help others make their lives better.

Comparison and Criticism

Countee Cullen is one of the most famous African-American poets who has won more literary prizes and recognitions than any black American has ever won before. He came into prominence quite early in his life. Becoming quite famous already in the high school he has been recognized as an outstanding poet before he was 25 when he published such poems as â€Å"I Have a Rendezvous with Life† and â€Å"The Ballad of the Brown Girl† (Johnson). So, â€Å"The Medea† and â€Å"The Lost Zoo† which I am going to compare and criticize in this paper are during his late period (in the age of 37 and 31 respectively).I am going to argue that both poems are still valuable today because of their didactic nature. By writing them Cullen attempted to express and somehow summarize his ideas of that what is good and what is bad, as well as about morals and proper behavior. They are all written for children, even if those children believe themselves to be adults. Since 1934 Cullen taught English and French at the Frederick Douglas Junior High School. He has been offered a position of a lecturer at the Fisk University in Nashville which he declined. Thus he has chosen a career of a teacher, not a lecturer and scientist.His interest to work with children and writing for children later clearly revealed when he wrote â€Å"The Lost Zoo†, yet it can be traced already in the â€Å"Medea and other poems†. Why among numerous Greek tragedies has Cullen chosen to translate exactly â€Å"The Medea†, and why has the translation been accompanied by a set of Cullen’s own verses? The answers can be found after reading this poetry collection and comparing its themes and motifs to the ones of Euripides. The original myth of Medea, as it has been told by Euripides, is a story of an aggrieved woman who has been driven to a disastrous path by her passion and despair.Cullen provided a modern translation of Euripides story (Corti 202) and the other poem s included to the collection can be viewed as Cullen’s commentary to the problem. Medea’s fate is reflected in â€Å"The Magnets† in which Cullen writes of â€Å"The straight, the swift, the debonair† who â€Å"are targets on the thoroughfare†. This passage can be viewed as a personal reflection, yet in the light of â€Å"Scottsboro, Too, Is Worth Its Song†, another Cullen’s poem, it can be interpreted in a broader social context, as a vision of an entire nation driven to the wrong pass.Cullen begins the poem by imagining poets who will sing and their cries â€Å"Their cries go thundering Like blood and tears†. The period when Cullen wrote this poem was marked by a deep spiritual crisis following the Great Depression, so Cullen observes that in the world â€Å"Is all disgrace And epic wrong† and wonders why the poets have not eventually risen their voices against this wrong. This poems is to put a rhetoric question but n ot to give an answer. Cullen attempts to make his readers themselves concerned with the moral descent, to awaken their own minds and conscience.Otherwise they are likely to repeat Medea’s mistake. This was Cullen’s teaching method: he has not expressly developed own philosophy and preferred to teach through parallels and comparison (Nelson 91). It can be observed that Cullen’s teaching and moralization is not only for children, but for adults as well, perhaps more for adults than children. His â€Å"The Lost Zoo† published in 1940 is for the â€Å"young but not too young†. Although this writing may seem childish, in it Cullen once again (after â€Å"Black Christ†) rises to the Biblical heights in his poetry (Nelson 90).In â€Å"The Lost Zoo† Cullen tells tales of animals that for some reasons could not get onto Noah’s Arc thusly teaching his readers certain life lessons (Silvey 3). Squilililigee’s story is a warning both against teasing and against excessive susceptibility, while the story of a Snake-That-Walked-Upon-His-Tale is a warning against arrogance and false vanity (See: Cullen, Pinknee 1991). In fact, neither of the lost animals was fated and each of them could be saved in case they themselves behaved in a proper way. The conduct of the lost animals ruins them because they attempt to be that what they are not. This is a typical mistake of all times.Cullen is a man of his time, yet his verses are of universal everlasting value. They are topical in our days same as in the days of Cullen. When Cullen wrote both â€Å"Medea† and â€Å"The Lost Zoo† he played a role of a teacher rather than a poet and he was able to teach not only children but adults as well. Human passions never change, and so Cullen’s poems will never lose their importance, just like â€Å"Medea† by Euripide and the Biblical story of an Arc have not lost theirs. Each generation understands and inte rprets them in their own manner just as Cullen interpreted the Bible and Medea. Works Cited: 1. Cullen Countee. The Medea and Some Poems.New York: Harper & Bros. , 1935; 2. Cullen, Countee; Pinknee, Brian J. The Lost Zoo. Silver Burdett Pr. , 1991; 3. Corti, Lillian. The Myth of Medea and the Murder of Children. Greenwood Press, 1998; 4. Nelson, Emmanuel Sampath. African American authors, 1745-1945. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2000; 5. Silvey, Anita. The essential guide to children's books and their creators, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2002; 6. Johnson, Clifton H. About Countee Cullen's Life and Career. 27 May 2009 http://www. english. illinois. edu/MAPS/poets/a_f/cullen/life. htm 7. Countee Cullen 27 May 2009 http://www. harvardsquarelibrary. org/poets/cullen. php

Whats a Good TOEIC Speaking and Writing Score

Whats a Good TOEIC Speaking and Writing Score Whats a Good TOEIC Speaking and Writing Score? If youve taken the TOEIC Speaking and Writing Exam, then you may be wondering what a good TOEIC score is. Although many corporations and educational institutions have their own expectations and minimum requirements for TOEIC scores, these descriptors can at least give you an idea of where your TOEIC Speaking and Writing score stands among them. Please remember that the TOEIC Speaking and Writing test is very different from the TOEIC Listening and Reading  exam. Good TOEIC Scores Like the Listening and Reading test, your Speaking and Writing scores are separated into two portions. You can earn anywhere from a 0 – 200 in increments of 10 on each part of the exam, and youll also get a proficiency level on each portion. The Speaking test has 8 proficiency levels, and just to be as confusing as possible, the Writing test has 9. Good TOEIC Score for TOEIC Speaking Speaking Proficiency Levels: Speaking Scaled Score Speaking Proficiency Level 0-30 1 40-50 2 60-70 3 80-100 4 110-120 5 130-150 6 160-180 7 190-200 8 Since you can earn up to a 200, anywhere from a 190 – 200 (or a level 8 proficiency) is considered excellent by most institutions. Most, though, have a proficiency level that they require, so its wise to check out what goals youll need to meet before you test. Heres the description of a Level 8 speaker by ETS, the makers of the TOEIC exam: Typically, test takers at Level 8 can create connected and sustained discourse appropriate to the typical workplace. When they express opinions or respond to complicated requests, their speech is highly intelligible. Their use of basic and complex grammar is good and their use of vocabulary is accurate and precise. Test takers at Level 8 can also use spoken language to answer questions and give basic information. Their pronunciation, intonation, and stress are at all times highly intelligible. Good TOEIC Score for Writing Writing Scaled Score Speaking Proficiency Level 0-30 1 40 2 50-60 3 70-80 4 90-100 5 110-130 6 140-160 7 170-190 8 200 9 Again, since you can earn up to a 200 on the Writing test, anywhere from a 170 – 200 (or a level 8-9 proficiency) is considered excellent by most institutions. Again, though, check the requirements for the institution or workplace to which youre applying to ensure your score meets the minimum.   Heres the descriptor for a Level 9 proficiency by ETS: Typically, test takers at Level 9 can communicate straightforward information effectively and use reasons, examples, or explanations to support an opinion. When using reasons, examples, or explanations to support an opinion, their writing is well-organized and well developed. The use of English is natural, with a variety of sentence structures, appropriate word choice, and is grammatically accurate. When giving straightforward information, asking questions, giving instructions, or making requests, their writing is clear, coherent, and effective.