International Trade debate Part 2 Essay Example for Free

International Trade debate Part 2 Essay In reading my classmate’s paper, it is interesting to note that while the author is against unrestricted trade, the author nevertheless cites many of its benefits such as reducing dependency and cutting the cost of living. What is even more interesting is that the author tries to build a case around arguments that consider these benefits as detriments without ample support. When countries have to compete globally, they would have to streamline their products in order to find their most competitive wares or they won’t be able to compete at all. This opinion which is also mirrored by my paper is true, but the fear that some countries would engage in unfair practices is unfounded. For one thing, what does the author mean by â€Å"unfair† competition? Offering a price that is lower than your competitor’s is not unfair, it’s just competition. As the paper also mentions, this leads to specialization of goods based on each participating nation’s capabilities. While some of our products might not be marketable because of cheaper, higher-quality brands from some other countries, other goods that we export would be more marketable because of free trade and we could focus on those goods for export and not have to spread our resources too thin. This way, we can get the best profit for our best product. But what about countries that cannot be competitive? What about countries who simply do not have globally competitive products? Globalization also gives them the benefit of having cheaper products for their labor force to afford. Kellison (2006) states that economies that cannot offer globally competitive products usually end up offering another valuable resource, labor. Free trade cuts the cost of living for its laborers which make them afford better lifestyles. What is so wrong with that? In the final analysis, it is clear that globalization has a rightful place in today’s economy. References Kellison, P. (2006). Labor Forces in the 21st Century. N. Y. : Bakeman Books. My classmate’s paper: International Trade Debate â€Å"The Case for Protection† My paper: International Trade.

The American Culture Essay example -- republicans, kennedy, clinton

Have you ever noticed the different policies and influences that have affected you and the generations before you? The American culture and influences have changed greatly over time. I believe that the policies and influences of American culture have changed since John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton John F. Kennedy or as many people called him â€Å"Jack† was born on May 29, 1917 in Brookline, Massachusetts in a large and wealthy family with 9 other brothers and sisters. Growing up John was very sick and was in the the hospital for a long period of time. According to Kaplan, Howard S â€Å"600 kids in the Boston area were suffering from scarlet fever†. (1) Many kids were suffering from scarlet fever along with John F. Kennedy. John F. Kennedy was also suffering from a few other diseases including a stomach disorder and Addison’s disease. Despite having all of these illnesses it did not stop him from playing the one true thing he loved, sports. John and all of his other brothers were all very competitive when it came to sports. According to ED. Kelle S, John was very good at sports but unfortunately he â€Å"hurt his back playing football at harvard†.(6) John eventually joined the Navy during WW2, while on a mission a Japanese Destroyer shot at the cruise boat he was on. while his boat was sinking he saved one of his other soldiers and had to swim with him 2 miles to a near by island. Unfortunately his time in the service hurt his back even more and when he returned home he had to have back surgery. William Jefferson Blythe 3 was born August 19, 1946 in Hope, Arkansas. Bills father died 3 months before he was born in a car accident. Bills’ mother left him with his grandparents because she left to go to college to become a nurse. Bills’ g... ...Raffaelle. Detroit: Gale Group, 2003. Student Resources in Context. Web. 13 Feb. 2014 7. O'Brien, Steven G. "Bill Clinton." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 14 Feb. 2014. 8. "John F. Kennedy." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 14 Feb. 2014 9. William Jefferson Clinton (1946 - )." N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Feb. 2014. 10. "The John F. Kennedy Administration." Presidential Administration Profiles for Students. Ed. Kelle S. Sisung and Gerda-Ann Raffaelle. Detroit: Gale Group, 2002. Student Resources in Context. Web. 24 Feb. 2014. 11. "John F. Kennedy." Image. John F. Kennedy Library. American History. ABC-CLIO, 2014. Web. 13 Mar. 2014. 12. Greenberg, David. "Impeachment Trial of Bill Clinton." Dictionary of American History. Ed. Stanley I. Kutler. 3rd ed. Vol. 4. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2003. 238-241. Student Resources in Context. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.

Differentiating Between Market Structures Essay

Kudler Fine Foods is the brain child of Kathy Kudler. She envisioned a one stop gourmet food store and has grown to three locations to date. She continues to maintain direct control over large bulk purchase order items, stringent customer service policies, and hiring. This paper discusses how the organization competes in the marketplace and the strengths and weaknesses of the company according to the marketing surveys their customers completed. The following also discusses which market structure best applies to the organization and how that structure positively and negatively affects the firm, how the effectiveness of the competitive strategies in the market structure affect the organization’s long-term profitability, and what competitive strategy recommendations may be made. How Kudler Competes Kudler Foods competes on a differentiation strategy. While the advertising is similar to the average grocery stores in the area, the advertising is not built on a â€Å"loss leader† criteria. Kudler Foods is one of only a few competitors in Orange County that offers a complete gourmet shopping opportunity. The company considered the greatest competition is the Cardiff Seaside Market and is in direct competition to the Encinitas and Del Mar locations. If left unchecked and depending on how effective the new managers are at strategic combinations, the competing store could negatively impact Kudler Foods market share. Something like this could decimate Kudler Foods’ customer base. Active assessment of strategy strengths and weaknesses is necessary to mitigate the challenges of this possibility. Strengths and Weaknesses Kudler Fine Foods marketing surveys were a clear indication of their strengths and weaknesses. Customers were happy with the displays and lay-out of the store. Customers were happy with the merchandise they purchased, even though they were not happy with the value they received for their money. Customers were practically split down the middle about how they felt about the customer service they received. That sentiment is not a reflection on how knowledgeable the customer service person was since customers overwhelmingly voted positively when asked that question. Overall, the customers felt good about the organization, how the company is branding itself as a premier gourmet market, the quality of the products and the knowledge level of the service representative. Best Market Structure The best market structure for Kudler Foods is oligopoly. Oligopoly, as defined by Colander (2010), â€Å"A market structure in which there are only a few firms and firms explicitly take other firms’ likely response into account; there are often significant barriers to entry.† Oligopoly requires strategic thinking. A real life company that has the same market structure as Kudler Foods is Whole Foods Market. Whole Foods Market carries specialty, gourmet food items, meats, wines, cheeses, and bulk food stuffs. Whole Foods Market also offers food and wine tastings, and attracts a wealthier clientele who fancy themselves as â€Å"gourmet foodies.† A large portion of their inventory is organically produced. Their customer service levels are a point of great pride as they know it is not just the food but the service that keep customers coming back. (Whole Foods Market, 2013) There are however, positive and negative effects of this market structure. Positive and Negative Effects A negative effect of oligopoly is that it is largely inefficient – economically and in productivity. What this means is that oligopolies do not produce in the most inexpensive manner nor do they produce the right amount of products according to demand. A positive effect of this market structure is the overall profits. These profits, for the growth purposes of Kudler Foods, could be used for technological advances so they may offer improved products, costs, prices, and allow them to stay ahead of the competition now and in the future to maintain long term profitability. Recommendations A firm recommendation is further train employees to enrich operations and increase customer service. Employees are certainly knowledgeable, as per the marketing survey results, but could use some additional training in increasing customer service skills. This could be accomplished by hiring an expert in the field to come in and teach service skills to the employees. To ensure the skills are used, Kudler Foods could tie a small part of the employee’s compensation to good reports from customers. In addition, Kathy Kudler is making plans to introduce new e-commerce capabilities as well as a catering link on the new website slated for launch in June 2004. These steps will add automation to inventory ordering and reach potential customers outside of the geographical area they currently service (â€Å"Kudler Fine Foods | Administration: Strategic Plan 2003†, 2013). The use of e-commerce will showcase strengths and perhaps give sustained competitive advantage. This new automation will also allow cash flows to go to the geographical expansion Mrs. Kudler wishes to achieve rather than operations functions. Conclusion The main point of this paper was to offer a market analysis for Kudler Foods and offer recommendations based on that analysis. Commitment to strategic plan, both in formulation and implementation are vital. â€Å"As with any plan, simply formulating a good strategy is not enough. Managers also must ensure that the new strategies are implemented effectively and efficiently (Bateman & Snell, p. 150, 2011).† Given the current circumstances, Kudler Foods has an excellent opportunity to maintain the positive cash flow it has been earning. If Kudler Foods will accept that strategy formulation, implementation, and technological advances are essential to securing future significant returns, Kudler Foods will ensure continued success by creating a connection between increased customer service, an internet presence, automated ordering, customer buying habit tracking, and customers’ lives. The sustainable competitive strategic advantage that Kulder Foods wishes to maintain and elo ngate will most certainly be realized. References Colander, D.C. (2010). Economics (8th ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database. Bateman, T. S., & Snell, S. A. (2011). Management: Leading & Collaborating in a Competitive World (9th ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database Whole Foods Market, Mission & Values (2013) Retrieved from http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/mission-values Kudler Fine Foods | Administration: Strategic Plan 2003 (2013). Retrieved from https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/secure/aapd/CIST/VOP/Business/Kudler2/intranet/strategic-plan.asp

How does the text conform to, or deviate from, the conventions of a particular genre, and for what purpose Free Essay Example, 1000 words

Shukhov is sentenced to a life of imprisonment and cruel punishment in this Soviet gulag system for acts of espionage, though he is innocent. In like manner, Alyoshka is a devout Baptist, full of faith but is imprisoned, all the same. The heartlessness of Stalinism in this camp is attested by: scarcity of food and food rationing and the compelling of prisoners to work in freezing temperature, as long as this temperature does not fall below -42oC. Overall, there is lucidity in observing that Solzhenitsyn’s work is not dedicated to withstanding the highhandedness of Stalinism, but to reveal to the world, the inhuman excesses of Stalinism. The import of this is that One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich is different from other film genres since it surpasses the common role of entertainment to take on a moral cause (Solzhenitsyn, 1988, 125). The themes and motifs that Solzhenitsyn’s work advances presents a point of conformance with other works of art. Some of the themes that Solzhenitsyn presents for discussion include the struggle for human dignity (the depiction of harsh life in the prison camp invites this), the immorality of unjust punishment (the inhuman condemnation to a harsh life on false basis underscores this), and the need for faith (as is presented by the resilient nature of the devout Alyoshka). We will write a custom essay sample on How does the text conform to, or deviate from, the conventions of a particular genre, and for what purpose or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now In the 1950s, movies, stories and other works of art were still conveying positive social values and virtues. Other stories had obviously been produced that time, to underscore these themes. The importance of these themes is that they shape the story’s’ plotline and Solzhenitsyn’s principal objectives for writing this story. Had these themes not been factored, Solzhenitsyn could have come up with a totally different story and plotline. Some of the literary devices that Solzhenitsyn uses also help him conform to the conventions of a particular genre, and to show the time when the novel was set. Among these literary devices there is symbolism that plays an important role in the story. Shukhov’s spoon, which he strives to keep at all cost, symbolizes his personality or individuality. Tsezar’s parcel that contains fine food stands for the pleasure of the world. Bread represents the novel’s spiritual and physical substance. Before and after this story, many literary works that use symbolism abound. In â€Å"One Day in Life of Ivan Denisovich† there are many symbols applied by the author to express the ideas he wanted to share with readers. Conclusion The foregoing clearly shows that Solzhenitsyn uses stylistic devices and other elements of literary works such as themes and motif to both distinguish his work from and to identify his work with others.