Amazon.com Essay -- Biography, Jeff Bezos

Jeff Bezos, founder, chief executive officer, president, and board chairman of the mega Internet store Amazon.com is considered one of the most innovative entrepreneurs of the e-commerce industry. At the age of 31, with just a computer science degree, little funding from his family, and a challenging idea, Bezos set out to pursuit his entrepreneurial vision of a internet bookstore which had turn into the biggest online retailer of our times (Jeff Bezos, 2007). Born in January 12, 1964, Bezos demonstrated intense scientific and mechanical interests since an early age. Parents, Miguel Bezos, a Cuban immigrant engineer, and Jackie Gise Jorgensen were impressed when their three-year-old Jeff dismantled his crib apart using a screwdriver (Business, 2006). Bezos’ early age was not different, attending River Oaks Elementary in a Houston Texas suburb while playing scientist from their parent’s garage. From the garage laboratory Bezos assembled an electric alarm to keep his younger cousins away from his workstation. Bezos spent most of the summers at his grandfather’s ranch at Cotulla, Texas were he would display his mechanical skills by repairing tractors, windmills, among other tasks (Jeff Bezos, 2007). In late 1970’s the family moved to Miami, Florida were Bezos attended Miami Palmetto Senior High School. The young man continued his early achievement when he was named valedictorian of his senior class in 1982, and was awarded with the Silver Knight Award from the Miami Herald (Business, 2006). Easily accepted, Bezos attended Princeton University and graduated in 1986 with a degree in computer science and electrical engineering, earning Phi Beta Kappa membership in the process (Business, 2006). Bezos’ entrepreneurial personality... ...e (Esten, 2007). Bezos entrepreneurial visions when further that Amazon when in 2004 he helped found Blue Origin, a human spaceflight tourism start-up company. Recently, the 43 years old capitalist had been using a lot of his time and business knowledge to philanthropic work, heading his own foundation and addressing important issue to the whole world (Jeff Bezos, 2007). Jeff Bezos have proved to be a very successful businessman with an incomparable entrepreneurial vision for opportunities. He led a small garage start-up e-bookstore to become the biggest online retailer in the world. During the process he reaffirmed his position as a great leader, manager, and human being. Recognized by multiple institutions in the business world and out of it, Bezos deserves the respect of the global society for having revolutionized the way the world shops online.

Orwell vs. King Essay

After reading pieces of literature from both George Orwell and Martin Luther King, the pieces of literature were wrote about thirteen years apart therefore they used very different methods, perspectives, and purposes.. Martin Luther King uses allusions and a variety of indirect insults where he states nation flaws but does not direct them towards someone directly. Orwell uses more themes, morality plays, myths and metaphors. As Kings purpose is to inform the audience that they are aware of the injustice going on, and Orwell is entertaining the audience with such interesting and rare short nolvels. In the well known speech â€Å"I Have a Dream† by Martin Luther King, he used plenty of allusions when he refers back to the common phrases such as â€Å"Five score years ago†, â€Å"One hundred year ago† refer to the past. He mentions a part from the constitution where all men should be created equal he implied it by saying â€Å"I have a dream that one day this natio n will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal†. In the quote he states how all men are suppose to be treated equal but black man aren’t being treated equal because of their skin color. Martin Luther King also brings up God when he states â€Å"Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God’s children† He is making it an allusion by bring up God and stating that that is what God would want. That the children would want to be recognized as equal because that’s how God made them, no matter the color of their skin they are all equal. On the other hand, George Orwell uses a lot more themes such as imperlisim and conqueror or conquering. These two themes are shown in the writing â€Å"Shooting An Elephant† in where he wants to fit in to a society where the only way to conquer that is to shoot an insane elephant that escaped, as much as he didn’t want to do it due his values and morals he did it to look good in front of the village and the citizens. He kept repeating the word â€Å"mus t† as if he was being forced by the people just for him to fit in. In the writing â€Å"How the Poor Die† Orwell uses plenty of detail when he describes the room, the people, and the treatments they practice on them. For example, the way he described the room was â€Å"..Ill-lit room, full of murmuring voiced with three rows of beds surprisingly close together. There was a foul smell, faecal and yet sweetish†. He described the people not by names but by numbers as they did at the hospital that sounded more like a practice lab in which the doctor and students examined the patients to see what was wrong, the people with the worst and rare illnesses got the most attention because those were the most interesting cases. The people with common cases were left in abundance to die without treatment of attention. As you may noticed both men use different methods but you also have to keep in mind that the writings are used with two different perspectives and purposes. Martin Luther King gives a much deeper emotional and touching tone and feeling because he was actually living it at the moment the speech was given, he saw how the African American people were being treated hoe they were segregated and treated unequal to the rest of society. Therefore, the speech gives the reader a totally different feel. George Orwell writes with more detail but also with the purpose of entertaining the reader. With the writing â€Å"How the Poor Die† he definitely conquered the purpose of entertaining because he kept the reader attached to the reading with the detailing yet very unique writing. He lets his imagination run which makes the readers keep reading because he uses such creative stories that no reader could even imagine in reading. Both men write different, although they were written about thirteen years ago, they were both written with different purposes. One to entertain and the other to inform, Martin Luther King makes the readers and audience comprehend how they are aware of the treatment given and how the nation has not kept its promise about all men being created equal. While Orwell uses his creative mind to form short novels that make him as a person a lot more interesting and adds spice to his work.

Twelth Night by Shakespeare

* Characters; I have a recommended choice from either, 1. Olivia, The countess of the countess's household. 2. Viola, A visitor of the Island Illyria, which will later be called Cesario. 3. Malvolio, The countess's steward. I am going to choose Viola. Because I believe that there is more information to write up on this character because of two sides's to write about one person. (So therefore, more to write about and less research!) How would you present your character in a film/theatre production? I would present my Twelfth Night play as a film, due to sound, lighting, and computer effects, and also because you can change the scenery in a matter of second's in a film where as you can only use 1 set in a theatre. Example; In act1 scene2 where the play mentions that the â€Å"Captain† and â€Å"Viola† are on the sea coast of Illyria with pieces of shipwreck all over the beach. After having a good old chat about where they are, it cuts short to act1 scene3 in Orsinos palace. In a theatre that would be hard to do (maybe impossible!) But in a film it would be easy. The only reason that I would go for a theatre approach is if I wanted it to be traditional. (Which I don't!) I would also base the costumes in Elizabethan times, because then the dialect would go with the clothing. My play would be based on a Mediterranean Island that all the people that live on the island talk a hint of Italian, but not the clown (feste) and visitors. Viola is on a ship with her brother (Sebastian) and crew on their way to a unknown destination, until, a large storm hits the vessel causing all members on board to abandon ship. Most of the crew survive but are unknown in the play; the Captain and Viola escape on the same life raft and get washed up on the shores of Illyria. This island is where the whole of the play takes place and where the countess and duke both live. The play begins; The play starts off at Orsio's palace (act1 scene1), with Orsino saying â€Å"if music be the food of love play on† (words follow) and goes to act 1 scene 2, which shows viola and the captain in a life boat all tired and disorientated, Viola â€Å"what country is this dear sir?† Captain â€Å"this place be Illyria, me lady† Viola â€Å"and what should I do in Illyria? My brother he is in Elysium. Perchance he is not drowned; what think you sir? Captain â€Å"It is perchance that you were saved, me lady† Viola â€Å"O my poor brother, he did not live to see the light of day†¦ And so perchance he maybe.† And so on so forth, they keep talking about how she has to become male to be a servant of the duke, so, the captain and her promise to not tell anyone that she's not a man. But the bit that I find funny is that she pretends to be a male by saying that she was castrated as a young lad and that her/his voice hadn't broke. (That was hard to explain!) Act 2 scene 1 Act 2 scene 1 tells you that Sebastian (viola's brother) is alive and well! But not only that but he's on the coast of Illyria as well. Act 2 scene 3 Act 2 scene 3 introduces you to feste the fool! (Clown) I find feste the most interesting character because not only is he more clever than most people on the island Example; Act1 scene5 line 53 Olivia â€Å"well, sir, for want to other idol ness, I'll bide your proof† Feste â€Å"Good Madonna, why morn'st thou?† Olivia â€Å"good fool, for my brothers death† Feste â€Å"I think his soul is in hell, Madonna† Olivia â€Å"I know his soul is in heaven, fool† Feste â€Å"the more fool you Madonna, to mourn your brothers soul being in heaven. Take away the fool gentlemen.† but he uses technical words to humiliate other people. Feste belongs to the duke to humiliate people and to please him e.g. jokes, dance, and sing songs. Example; O mistress mine, where are you coming? O stays and hears, for your true loves coming, That can sing for both high and low. Trip no further, pretty sweeting; Journeys end in lovers meeting Every wise man son doth know.

Kentucky Fried Chicken Essay

The report is mainly focusing on Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) company and has been divided into three categories at the aim of identifying the leadership and management issues in the company and suggest appropriate solutions to it. The tool that will be used in the first phase is the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis which is used to point out the strengths and weaknesses of the company and also to identifying the leadership and management issues that exist within the organization. The second part of the report consists of the evaluation and rationalization of the management and leaderships issues identified in part 1 by using the McKinsey 7S Model to help to identify what types of changes that should be made and implemented in order to help the company to improve. In the last phase of the report, an overview of the company situation will be presented followed by suggested sets of recommendation and actions for KFC in order to overcome the key issues identified. Company Backgroup  Kentucky Corporation (KFC), also known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is a chain of fast food restaurants based in Louisville, Kentucky, in the United States which was started in the 1930 by Colonel Harland Sanders as a small franchise operation. Kentucky Fried Chicken is a very well-known restaurant in the world. It is rated at number 60 as the world most well-known brand by the BusinessWeek, while McDonald at number 9 and Nestle at number 23 (Badrishah, 2007). KFC remained the largest chicken restaurant chain and third largest fast-food chain. It held over 50 percent of U.  S market in terms of the sales number and ended the year 1995 with over 9,000 restaurants worldwide. By end of the 1995, KFC have opened 234 new restaurants and is operated in 68 countries. In the year of 1997, the company has become a brand of YUM! Brands Inc. which is the world largest fast food chain who also operates Taco Bell, Long John Silver and Pizza Hut. Currently, the company owns and franchises more than 16,200 outlets in about 100countries and have employees of more than 24,000. KFC was the first fast-food chains to enter international market and has now developed one of the world’s most recognizable brands. KFC’s early entry into the fast food industry allowed the company to gain a strong brand name in the industry and dominate the chicken industry. KFC’s nearest competitor – Boston Market (formerly Boston Chicken) and Popeye’s held market share of 12. 3 and 10. 2 percent respectively while KFC held a market share of 58 percent in the chicken segment (KFC. com, 2007). KFC’s global success is credited to its quality management which is the: Quality, Service and Cleanliness (QSC) program to review the quality of the service offered to the customers and to evaluate the company performance. Other than that, the understanding of the customers and satisfying their needs also contributed to KFC’s global success (Reynolds, 2001). Not only so, KFC also has also uses a special marketing tools to promote its product by means of combining PepsiCo product which is the beverage and the products of KFC itself, with these marketing idea, both company KFC and PepsiCo are both generating profits and it is an advantage for KFC since they no longer purchase beverages from outside company. KFC primarily sells chicken pieces, wraps, salads and sandwiches. While its primary focus is fried chicken, KFC also offers a line of grilled and roasted chicken products, side dishes such as mashed potato, sweet corn, coleslaw and desserts. KFC also uses the localization strategy while designing the menu in KFC as a way to adapt to the local taste and culture by also offering beef based products such as hamburgers or kebabs, pork based products such as ribs and other regional fare. On the other hand, judging by the current market growth in China, KFC have absorbed the Chinese cultural elements into its western management style, hence forming an inter-cultural management mode. China’s rapid economic development has opened its door for the fast-food industry and enable KFC to use localization strategy to let Chinese to have the chance to experience western lifestyle with traditional Chinese cultural embedded in it (China Daily, 2004). At present, there are more than 1,000 restaurants in China and they are now increasing at the rate of average 200 stores per year. In 2010, Yum! Brand, the parent company of KFC Corporation expects 36% of their global $2 billion operating profits from 3700 restaurants in China. The success of KFC in China has lead Yum! Brand Inc to be the most successful foreign company in China with 40% market share outstripping competitors like McDonalds (Turner, 2011). Such management mode by KFC has proved that the company has the flexibility to adapt to different cultural and environmental changes. SWOP Analysis SWOT is a tool for auditing the strategies and the environment of an organization for decision making. And it can be classified as Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats. (Pahl & Richter, 2007) Strengths KFC is recognize as the second largest fast food chains in the world, the first which being took by its main competitor, McDonalds * Holding over half of the market shares in the fast food industry. * Occupied the china market, KFC defeat McDonald and become the largest fast food chain in China market which contain 1. 3 billion population. * It have been globally recognized and experienced and having strong market in Mexico, Middle East and Asia such as China, Japan, Korea, Thailand and Malaysia. * Earn huge revenue from the franchises and licensing fees. The most major strength of the company is their Brand Equity. * Its secret recipe allowed KFC to set itself apart in the industry and maintained supremacy in the fast food market. * Every year, the profits of the company increases. * KFC have a quality management which called â€Å"Quality, Service and Cleanliness (QSC) program† use to judge the quality of its service offered to the customers and to measure the company performance. Weaknesses * Least focus about their product research and development, they more concerned about their branches expending. Inconsistent quality of services in many outlets by few of its franchises had damaging the brand name and company reputation. * Inflexibility of prices makes it unaffordable to middle class people. * Imbalanced entrance of the franchises to different markets at one time especially too concern the Chinese market has extremely decreased its global growth rate. Opportunities * Besides expanded its target market focus to family and friends of all age brackets, KFC also targeting and tempting the young customer which age between 18 to 24 years old. Dependability of the chicken meat used as the people are scared of infections from eating beef globally. * Focus in Chinese market which known as the world’s faster growing market. * Increased and effective services specially home delivery and drive though services * Induction of new products other than chicken including fish and vegetable in most of its menu in reality the whole menu is balanced and healthy which aim to attract the customers considerably. * Position itself strongly in the global markets, with a vision of increasing market value and market share. Threats * Customer began to demand more healthy and fresh food but KFC was faced with a limited menu and majority consist of fried foods * Faced by slowed sales growth in the fast-food industry, other segments of the industry have turned to new menu offerings, as they have very few products other than their selection† Fried chicken†. * Customer shift to other brand that offering the same products which in lower rates on the prices. * Less economical deals are being offered compare to its biggest competitor McDonalds who offer more cost-effective products. KFC’s Key Challenges KFC Corporation, being one of the largest fast-food chains in the world usually will have challenges that the company will have to overcome in order to retain their market share and reputations. But however, KFC restaurants around the world have various complaints regarding its services provided. It has been reported in United States that a customer was offended by the manner in which she was served. Customers complained that the employees were rude, lazy and negligent to her family and other customers. In the eye of management, a good services will help for t he long term customer relationships. But however, KFC in USA failed to realize the importance of it as employees were not given a proper training regarding good customer services (Eisenback et. al, 2008). According to some of the staff in KFC, there is a lack of communication between the marketing department and the operation of KFC. Marketing department may not give accurate details on the new promotions and new products to the KFC operation nor clearly explain to them about the campaign. This lead to many problems for the operation team as they may be confused about the promotion or coupon and hence might not be able to explain the details to customers with enquiries. In addition, it could affect the efficiency and effectiveness of operation as crewmembers may not be familiar with the new marketing strategies and may not be able to sell the products as the corporate wanted them to be (Lan & Mahmood, 1995). Additionally, KFC in China has also been reported that some KFC restaurants have failed to change their frying oil for four days and also failed to provide fresh soybean milk for customers. The restaurants has been caught for changing the dates for replacing the oil for the purpose of passing examination by district inspectors from the company, and what’s more, the employees also ignore and changed the time on unsold items to make customers believe that they were eating freshly prepared products. The condition of kitchen is also reported to be very unclean and the employees did not follow the food safety regulation such as wearing caps when preparing foods. (China Times, 2009). Despite of the corporate rules on standard operation and regulations, employees at KFC often ignore them. Such incident in KFC would destroy the company’s brand reputation although KFC Corporation claimed that they did provide training booklets which include questions on cross-contamination of food, but because of the lack of supervision, the employees would act whatever they want and ignoring the rules set by the management. The mission of KFC is â€Å"people be the first, customers be the focus† (Yum! Restaurant International, 2003) but however, it is found that KFC did not take proactive approach on listening to customers and employees. There is no systematic customer survey for its products and services. It relies on the branch managers and public relation officers to get the customers’ opinion. Although the website of KFC has a customer service comment box for customers to send suggestion, but KFC ignore those customers who are not computer savvy. Many customers were complaining that customer did not have access to a customer service number and those who were able to reach customer service often received no response. The failure of KFC to deliver efficient service proved that the management does not show concern to their customers and did not make any improvement to take care of the customer’s complaints and thought. Customers are viewed as an important asset of a company and therefore any complaints or opinions from them should be valued by the company (Eisenback et. al, 2008) Other than that, even though KFC has adequate human resources but they are lacking the capabilities. Its mother ompany, PepsiCo, makes wrong decision in its corporate level strategy. They centralize and tightens the control over existing KFC managers and such actions causes the drop of the employee morale. In addition, PepsiCo also limits the rights and powers of the franchisees’ right and power and intents to compete and acquire the franchisees’ units. Such incident has caused a dispute which last for 7 years until 1966. This also make the company performance to drop and drive down KFC’s market shares (Chu, 2003).

Aligning Profitability and Sustainability Essay

Aligning Profitability and Sustainability: Nike BY lucy78 Aligning profitability and sustainability A central issue that companies grapple with as they try to become more sustainable is how and to what extent they adopt this as part of their corporate strategy. Nike faces the same dilemma as it builds on the success of the ‘Considered’ initiative while simultaneously encountering challenges implementing the ethos across the entire brand. How far can and should Nike go in â€Å"considering the right thing and doing the right thing†? Businesses often strive to find the balance between being economically and environmentally sustainable. However, it is possible, with innovation, to align the benefits of these aspects and minimize trade-offs. For Nike to advance on the sustainability scale, it is imperative that they identify and pursue alignment mechanisms that will allow it to become profitable and sustainable. Integrating sustainability across the brand While Considered as an ethos is promoted and accepted across the Nike brand, a key obstacle to progress is its limited and non-uniform implementation across the arious categories. Sustainability needs to evolve from being a strategic initiative to an organizational strategy that encapsulates all categories setting brand wide objectives, identifying resources, and establishing uniform metrics for performance. As noted in the case, sustainability for Nike is not Just a CSR goal anymore rather a crucial factor in long-term growth and competitiveness of the company. Specific measures in the strategy to accomplish this could include creation of a comprehensive index covering all categories and products taking into consideration he differences in costs, prices, and targets. Secondly, modifying the operations to build in the impact of sustainable design, development and manufacturing on the production time line will allow for wider implementation of the practices. Furthermore, this helps incorporate iterative design through measurement, audit, and tracking through the product life cycle. Adoption would also increase if Nike can create a broader negotiating platform to enable all categories to benefit from price reductions from suppliers. Finally, any organizational strategy would require champions among the various teams to disseminate the sustainability ethos, build liaisons across functions and in general ensure broader enforcement of best practices. The message of â€Å"being good is good for the business† needs to be part of the leadership’s vision, implementation and evaluative measures in the company. External partnerships and alliances An internal philosophy and focus on sustainability is one part of the equation in and foster an eco-system around them that help them align the profitability and ustainability goals. Nike, as the market leader, is in an excellent position to create partnerships and alliances towards that goal. Nike should spearhead the creation and/or consolidation of industry wide practices including rating systems for the products and performance metrics. Promoting environmentally friendly systems would accelerate adoption by suppliers thereby strengthening its global sourcing channels. Third-party monitoring and validation relationships would bolster Nike’s credibility and improve its standing as an environmentally responsible organization. This is especially important in the light of its past experience with the labor crisis. Nike should create strategic partnerships with suppliers promoting knowledge sharing, assisting in training and education and identifying long-term benefits. It should engage the suppliers in dialogues regarding comprehensive standards promoting alignment in their goals. Customer awareness and branding An organization’s value is in the eyes of the customer. The Nike brand commands tremendous customer loyalty and recognition through its association with high erformance, innovation and aesthetics. For Nike to evolve as a sustainable brand, it has to create value for its customer to be part of the new ecosystem. Nike should differentiate itself by the additional dimension of eco-friendliness to build on its performance and aesthetic values. Leveraging celebrity endorsements and raising consumer awareness, Nike should engage customers in the sustainability vision through collaboration with NGOs, eco-friendly groups and environmental campaigns. Evolving the brand to be associated with social and environmental esponsibility would improve customer satisfaction and the bottom-line. In conclusion, Nike’s challenge is to interlock profitability and sustainability as it strives to address global sourcing, competitive and environmental issues. To succeed, Nike should create a comprehensive strategy to implement sustainability practices internally while simultaneously forming alliances and partnerships with external stakeholders, including customers. By marrying innovation with ‘green’ it is feasible for Nike to create cost-effective, high performing, and ‘cool’ eco-friendly products.

Definition Essay Essay

We all must have heard of the word â€Å"Dictator† as a political term. Some of us –excluding myself- even watched â€Å"the dictator† comedy movie which was released in 2012. Personally, I doubt a comedy Hollywood movie would convey the right definition of a political term, so I looked it up. It turns out that this word actually has a common definition, a history, and a modern version that you will know more about in this essay. The common definition of a dictator is a ruler who doesn’t rule by democracy. While democracy is a political term that describes a government that is decided by the people. In other words, the supreme power of the country is in the citizen’s hands in a direct or indirect way. Dictatorism is the exact opposite. A dictator ruler has absolute power, control, and authority of a country and often rules in a selfish, brutal way putting his personal benefit and interest first. The word was originated in ancient Rome to rule the republic in times of emergencies. However, it didn’t have the negative meaning as it does today, Rather, a Roman dictator was a person given absolute power (unlike the normal ancient Roman way of dividing the ruling between a board of consuls) for a limited and specific time period in order to handle emergency situations. When his time period ends, he is supposed to step down and give the power back to the board of consuls and receive punishment for any wrongs he did during that period. In the modern version of a dictator, it is often associated with oppression and brutality. Also, and as a result, it is used as a term of abuse or an insult in political debates towards opponents. Many dictators are not only narcissists but also vain and full of ego. Some of them actually go to the extent of creating honorees and titles for themselves. Also, lots of them are crazy power maniacs and control freaks. Apparently, a dictator isn’t only a political ruler who rules by anything  but democracy, an ancient Roman leader in emergencies, or a power maniac who makes false honor titles for himself, but also, anyone who has much arrogance and likes to boss people around can be called a dictator. So, always remember, dictators aren’t very lovable freaks, so try your best not to act as one, both in political and social life manners.

HEALTH AND BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

HEALTH AND BEHAVIOURAL SCIENCES - Lab Report Example as no difference found in the motivation of two groups, but the groups with the fewer choices were more satisfied with their decision and they also reported less difficulty levels. Do you have more variety of this product? I think we should visit the corner shop because my friend was telling me that they have a wide collection. I can apply for only a few colleges†¦ I wish I could apply for more college. How many times we have heard or used these sentences or similar kinds of statements. The importance of choices in our lives is very important and it is often realized. People always variety as they feel that it helps them in their decision making process. There are no two thoughts on the fact that choices are very important for us. The effect that choices have on our lives is misinterpreted or misunderstood many a times. Too many choices may not be as beneficial for us as we think they are. It is found that excess of choices can decrease the motivation to buy (Iyengar & Lepper, 2000). Psychology informs us today that choice between two desirable options can lead to dissatisfaction and stress (Huffman, 2008). These results are not in line with the common notion regarding choices. The ability to choose from a variety of alternatives is considered necessary for a better decision. Studies have also suggested that choices are very necessary for human beings and they increase the life satisfaction of people (Deci & Ryan, 1985). These studies have contradicting results and they may confuse a lay man. These results have also added obscurity on the subject of variety and choices to some extent. It is important to understand that variety is very important for people and their survival. However too many choices can lead to dissatisfaction and decrease in motivation. The problem with too many choices is that it increases the stress level of the people as they want to choose the best option (Moushart, 2008). Too many choices actually hinder in decision making by confusing