The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 26

The day passed with much research, but with very little in the way of results, which left Elena feeling increasingly concerned for her comatose friend. By the time night fel and Aunt Judith cal ed to wearily inquire whether Elena's family would see her at al that day, they had sorted through the first bag of papers and Alaric had gone over a third or so of what seemed to be the notebook in which Caleb kept the record of his magical experiments, grumbling about Caleb's terrible handwriting. Elena frowned, flipping through another stack of papers. Looking through the pictures and clippings confirmed that Celia hadn't been among Caleb's planned victims. If the phantom had targeted her first, it must have been because she was rich in whatever emotion this phantom fed off. â€Å"Snippiness,† Meredith suggested, but she was careful to say it out of Alaric's hearing. The clippings and printouts also showed that Caleb was indeed obsessed with Tyler's disappearance, and that he had evidence and memories of two different time lines for the same period – one where Fel ‘s Church had been fal ing apart and Elena Gilbert had been dead, and one where everything had been just fine, thanks in the smal Virginia town of Fel ‘s Church, including the continuing reign of the senior class's golden girl, Elena. In addition to Caleb's own double memories, which covered only the summer, Tyler had apparently talked to him over the phone the previous fal and winter about the mysterious events surrounding Mr. Tanner's death and everything that fol owed. Although it didn't sound from Caleb's notes like Tyler had mentioned his own transformation to werewolf and conspiracy with Klaus, just his growing suspicions of Stefan. â€Å"Tyler.† Elena groaned. â€Å"Even though he's long gone, he manages to make trouble.† Alaric's examination of the notebook so far had proved that they were right that Caleb was a magic user, and that he was planning to use his magic both to take vengeance against them and to try to locate Tyler. But it hadn't shown how he had summoned the phantom. And despite Alaric's bringing any likely looking note, incantation, or drawing to Mrs. Flowers for inspection, they had not yet discovered what kind of spel Caleb had been doing, or what purpose the roses served. Stefan escorted Elena home for dinner, then returned to continue helping the others. He'd wanted to stay with Elena, but she had a feeling her aunt would not appreciate a lastminute dinner guest. The second Elena stepped through the door, she could feel Damon's lingering presence and remembered how, just hours ago, they had stood upstairs, holding each other. Al through the meal, while she told Margaret a bedtime story, and then during her last cal to Meredith to check on the rest of the group's progress, she'd thought longingly of him, wondering whether she would see him tonight. That in turn set off pangs of guilt related to Stefan and Bonnie. She was being so selfish, keeping Stefan's brother's return from him, and thinking of herself while Bonnie was in danger. The whole cycle was exhausting, but stil she couldn't contain her exuberance that Damon was alive. Alone in her room at last, Elena ran a brush through her silky golden hair and pul ed on the simple cool nightgown she'd wo rn the night before. It was hot and humid outside, and through her window she could hear the crickets chirping busily. The stars were shining, and a half-moon floated high over the trees outside. She cal ed good night to Aunt Judith and Robert and climbed into bed, fluffing the pil ows around her. She half expected a long wait. Damon liked to tease, and he liked to make an entrance, so he was quite likely to wait until he thought she would be asleep, and then sweep into her room. But she had barely turned off the light when a piece of darkness seemed to separate itself from the night outside her window. There was the faintest scuff of a footstep on the floor, and then her mattress groaned as Damon settled himself at the foot of her bed. â€Å"Hel o, love,† he said softly. â€Å"Hi,† she said, smiling at him. His black eyes glittered at her from the shadows, and Elena suddenly felt warm and happy, despite everything. â€Å"What's the latest?† he asked. â€Å"I saw a lot of fuss going on at the boardinghouse. Something got your sidekicks in a tizzy?† His tone was casual y sarcastic, but his gaze was intense, and Elena knew he had been worried. â€Å"If you let me tel everyone you're alive, you could be with us and then you'd know everything that's going on firsthand,† she teased. Then she grew somber. â€Å"Damon, we need your help. Something terrible has happened.† She told him about Bonnie, and about what they had discovered in the Smal woods' garden shed. Damon's eyes flamed. â€Å"A phantom's got the little redbird?† â€Å"That's what Mrs. Flowers's mother said,† Elena answered. â€Å"Stefan told us that he'd known of a rage phantom somewhere back in Italy.† Damon made a little pfft! noise. â€Å"I remember that. It was amusing at the time, but nothing like what you've been describing. How does this theory of Stefan's explain Bonnie's being taken? Or the appearance of the names when someone is threatened?† â€Å"It's Mrs. Flowers's theory, too,† Elena said indignantly. â€Å"Or her mother's, I guess. And it's the only one that makes sense.† She could feel Damon stroking her arm with the most featherlight touch, and it felt good. The hairs prickled on the back of her arms, and she shivered with pleasure in spite of herself. Stop it, she thought sternly. This is serious business. She moved her arm out of Damon's reach. He sounded amused and lazy when he next spoke. â€Å"Wel , I can't blame the old witch and her ghost mother,† he said. â€Å"Humans mostly stay in their own dimension; they learn only the tiniest piece of what's happening, even the most gifted of them. But if Stefan behaved like any self-respecting vampire and didn't go around trying to be human al the time, he'd have a little more of a clue. He's barely even traveled to the Dark Dimension except when he was dragged there to sit in a cage or save Bonnie. Maybe if he had, he would understand what was going on and be able to protect his pet humans a little better.† Elena bristled. â€Å"Pet humans? I'm one of those pet humans, too.† Damon chuckled, and Elena realized he had said that purposely, to rile her up. â€Å"A pet? You, princess? Never. A tiger, maybe. Something wild and dangerous.† Elena rol ed her eyes. Then the implication of Damon's words hit her. â€Å"Wait, are you saying this isn't a phantom? And that you know what it actual y is? Is it something that comes from the Dark Dimension?† Damon shifted closer to her again. â€Å"Would you like to know what I know?† he said, his voice like a caress. â€Å"There are a lot of things I could tel you.† â€Å"Damon,† Elena said firmly. â€Å"Stop flirting and pay attention. This is important. If you know anything, please tel me. If you don't, please don't play games with me. Bonnie's life is at stake. And we're al in danger. You're in danger, too, Damon: Don't forget, your name's been written, and we don't know for sure that whatever happened on the Dark Moon was the attack on you.† â€Å"I'm not too concerned.† Damon waved his hand disparagingly. â€Å"It would take more than a phantom to hurt me, princess. But, yes, I know a little more about this than Stefan does.† He turned her hand over and traced her palm with cool fingers. â€Å"It is a phantom,† he said. â€Å"But it's not the same kind we saw in Italy long ago. Do you remember that Klaus was an Original? He wasn't sired like Katherine or Stefan or I was; he was never human. Vampires like Klaus consider vampires like us who started out as humans to be weak half-breeds. He was much stronger than us and much more difficult to kil . There are different types of phantoms, too. The phantoms who are born of human emotions on Earth are able to intensify and spur on these emotions. They don't have much consciousness of their own, though, and they never get very strong. They're just parasites. If they are cut off from the emotions they need to survive, they fade away pretty quickly.† Elena frowned. â€Å"But you think this is another, more powerful kind of phantom? Why? What did Sage tel you?† Damon tapped her hand with one finger as he counted. â€Å"One: the names. That's beyond the powers of an ordinary phantom. Two: It took Bonnie. A regular phantom wouldn't be able to do that, and wouldn't get anything out of it if it could. An Original phantom, though, can steal her spirit and take it back to the Dark Dimension. It can drain her life force and emotions to make itself stronger.† â€Å"Wait,† Elena said, alarmed. â€Å"Bonnie's back in the Dark Dimension? Anything could be happening to her! She could be enslaved again!† Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as she thought of how humans were treated in the Dark Dimension. Damon squeezed her hand. â€Å"No, don't worry about that. She's there only in spirit – the phantom wil have her in some kind of holding cel ; it'l want her safe. I think the worst thing that could happen to her is she'l be bored.† He frowned. â€Å"It'l sap her life force, though, and that'l weaken her eventual y.† â€Å"You think that being bored's the worst thing that could happen to her†¦ oh, at least until it drains al her life force? That's not good enough, Damon. We have to help her.† Elena thought for a moment. â€Å"So phantoms live in the Dark Dimension?† Damon hesitated. â€Å"Not in the beginning. The Original phantoms were relegated to the Dark Moon by the Guardians.† â€Å"Where you died.† â€Å"Yes,† Damon said caustical y. Then he rubbed the back of her hand in a silent apology for his tone. â€Å"Original phantoms are kept inside some kind of prison on the Dark Moon, just itching for a chance to get out. Like genies in a bottle. If something broke the prison wal , their ultimate goal would be to make it to Earth and feed on human emotions. After the World Tree was destroyed, Sage said things changed, which would make sense if an Original phantom managed to escape as things shifted after the destruction.† â€Å"Why come al the way to Earth, though?† Elena asked. â€Å"There're al those demons and vampires in the Dark Dimension.† She could see Damon's smile in the shadows. â€Å"I guess human emotion is extra-delicious. Like human blood is. And there aren't enough humans in the Dark Dimension to make a real y good meal. There are so many humans on Earth that an Original here can just keep on gorging on emotion and growing ever more powerful.† â€Å"So it fol owed us from the Dark Moon?† Elena asked. â€Å"It must have hitched a ride with you when you came back to Earth. It would have wanted to get as far from its prison as possible, so an opening between dimensions would have been irresistible.† â€Å"And it was freed from its prison when I used my Wings of Destruction and blasted the moon?† Damon shrugged. â€Å"That seems to be the most likely explanation.† Elena's heart sank. â€Å"So Bonnie's vision was right. I brought this. It's my fault.† He brushed back her hair and kissed her neck. â€Å"Don't think of it that way,† he said. â€Å"How could you have stopped it? You didn't know. And I'm grateful you used the Wings of Destruction: That's what saved me, after al . The important thing now is to fight the phantom. We need to send it back before it gets too powerful. If it gets a real foothold here, it can start influencing more and more people. The whole world could be in danger.† Elena half consciously arched her neck to one side so that Damon could get a better angle, and he gently traced the vein on the side of her neck with his lips for a moment before she realized what they were doing and nudged him away again. â€Å"I don't understand, though. Why would it tel us who it's going after next?† she said. â€Å"Why does it give us the names?† â€Å"Oh, that's not its own doing,† Damon said, and kissed her shoulder. â€Å"Even the most powerful phantom has to fol ow the rules. It's part of the spel the Guardians put on the Original phantoms, when they relegated them to the Dark Moon. A safeguard in case the Originals ever escaped. This way, their prey knows they're coming, and it gives them a fair shot at resisting.† â€Å"The Guardians imprisoned it,† Elena said. â€Å"Would they help us send it back?† â€Å"I don't know,† Damon said shortly. â€Å"I wouldn't ask them if I could help it, though. I don't trust them, do you?† Elena thought of the cool efficiency of the Guardians, of the way they had dismissed Damon's death as irrelevant. Of the way they had caused her own parents' death. â€Å"No,† she said, shivering. â€Å"Let's leave them out of it if we can.† â€Å"We'l defeat it ourselves, Elena,† Damon said, and caressed her cheek with his hand. â€Å"Stop it,† Elena said. â€Å"We have to concentrate.† Damon stopped trying to touch her for a moment and thought. â€Å"Tel me about your little friends. Have people been tense? Fighting? Acting out of character?† â€Å"Yes,† Elena said immediately. â€Å"No one's been acting like themselves. I can't put my finger on it, but something's been wrong since we got back.† Damon nodded. â€Å"Since it probably came with you, it makes sense that it would have targeted you and those connected to you as its first victims.† â€Å"But how do we stop it?† Elena asked. â€Å"What do these stories you've heard about the Original phantoms say about recapturing them once they've escaped from their prison?† Damon sighed, and his shoulders slumped a little. â€Å"Nothing,† he said. â€Å"I don't know anything more. I'l have to go back to the Dark Dimension and see what I can find out, or if I can fight the phantom from there.† Elena stiffened. â€Å"It's too dangerous, Damon.† Damon chuckled, a dry sound in the darkness, and Elena felt his fingers run through her hair, smoothing the silky strands, then twisting them, tugging them gently. â€Å"Not for me,† he said. â€Å"The Dark Dimension is a great place to be a vampire.† â€Å"Except that you died there,† Elena reminded him. â€Å"Damon, please. I can't stand to lose you again.† Damon's hand stil ed, and then he was kissing her gently, and his other hand came up to touch her cheek. â€Å"Elena,† he said as he reluctantly broke the kiss. â€Å"You won't lose me.† â€Å"There has to be another way,† she insisted. â€Å"Wel , then we'd better find it, and soon,† Damon answered grimly. â€Å"Otherwise the entire world wil be at risk.† Damon was saturated with Elena. Her sweet, rich scent in his nostrils, the throbbing beat of her heart in his ears, the silk of her hair and the satin of her skin against his fingers. He wanted to kiss her, to hold her, to sink his fangs into her and taste the heady nectar of her blood, that vibrant blood that tasted like no one else's. But she made him go, although he knew she didn't real y want to. She didn't say it was because of his little brother that she pushed him away, but he knew anyway. It was always Stefan. When he left her, he transformed graceful y into a large black crow again and flew from her bedroom window to the quince tree nearby. There, he folded his wings and shifted from one foot to another, settling in to watch over her. He could sense her through the window, anxious at first, her thoughts churning, but soon her pulse slowed, her breathing deepened, and he knew she was asleep. He would stay and guard her. There was no question: He had to save her. If Elena wanted a chivalrous knight, someone who would protect her nobly, Damon could do that. Why should that weakling Stefan have al the glory? But he wasn't sure what came next. Despite Elena's begging him not to go, heading into the Dark Dimension seemed like the logical next step in fighting this phantom. But how to get there? There were no easy paths. He didn't have the time to journey to one of the gates again, nor did he want to leave Elena's side long enough to travel there. And he couldn't expect to find something as useful as a star bal again by chance. Plus, if he did get there, being in the Dark Dimension would have special dangers for him now. He didn't think the Guardians knew he had come back from the dead, and he didn't know how they would react when they did. He'd rather not find out. The Guardians didn't care for vampires much, and they tended to like things to stay the way they ought to be. Look at how they had stripped Elena's Powers when she came to their attention. Damon hunched his shoulders and fluffed out his iridescent feathers irritably. There had to be another way. There was the slightest rustle underfoot. No one without the sensitive ears of a vampire would have heard it, it was so cautious, but Damon caught it. He snapped to attention and peered sharply around. No one would get to his princess. Oh. Damon relaxed again and clicked his beak in vexation. Stefan. The shadowy figure of his little brother stood beneath the tree, head tilted back, gazing in devotion at Elena's darkened window. Of course he was there, standing by to defend her against al the horrors of the night. And just like that, Damon knew what he had to do: If he wanted to learn more about the phantom, he'd have to give himself over to it. He closed his eyes, al owing every negative feeling he'd ever had about Stefan to wash over him. How Stefan had always taken everything Damon wanted, had stolen it, if he needed to. Damn Stefan, Damon thought bitterly. If his brother hadn't come to town earlier than him, Damon would have had a chance to make Elena fal in love with him first, to be the one to reap the utter devotion he saw in her eyes when she looked at Stefan. Instead, here he was, second-best. He hadn't been enough for Katherine either; she had wanted his brother, too. Elena, tiger to the kitten Katherine had been, would have been the perfect mate for Damon. Beautiful, strong, wily, capable of great love, they could have ruled the night together. But she had fal en for his lily-livered weakling of a little brother. Damon's claws clenched the branch he sat on. â€Å"Isn't it sad,† a quiet voice beside him suggested, â€Å"how you try and try, but you're never enough for the women you love?† A cool tendril of fog touched his wing. Damon straightened and looked around. Dark fog was winding around the quince tree, just at Damon's level. Below, Stefan stood unaware. The fog had come for Damon alone. With a private smile, Damon felt the fog envelop him, and then al was darkness.

Waiting for Godot: Proven as a Tragic-Comedy

Is the label tragic-comedy truly suitable for the drama Waiting for Godot? A tragic-comedy by definition, is a work which intertwines elements both tragic and comic in nature. This characterization can be questioned as to its legitimacy in its application to Waiting for Godot. However, such skepticism of the classification will soon be expunged. Necessarily, examples of tragic and comic techniques, as well as theme, will be identified and confirmed as content within the story. Body A Tragic-comedy is a play which claims a plot fit for tragedy but which ends happily like a comedy.The action is serious in theme and subject matter and tone also sometimes, but it seems to be a tragic catastrophe until an unexpected turn in events brings out the happy ending. The characters of a tragic-comedy are noble but they are involved in improbabilities. In such a play tragic and comic elements are mixed together. Fletcher, in his Preface to the Faithful Shepherdess, defines a tragic-comedy as: â₠¬Å"A tragic-comedy is not so called in respect to mirth and killing, but in respect it wants death which is enough to make it no tragedy. Shakespeare’s ‘Cymbeline’ and ‘The Winter’s Tale’ may also be categorized as tragic-comedy. Time is clearly presented as a tragedy and creates many hardships in Waiting for Godot. Waiting is generally perceived negatively and is the central focus of the story. The two main characters Estragon and Vladimir, are forced to waste away their days while awaiting the arrival of a man who never comes. Estragon and Vladimir have nothing to do in the meantime and in result time becomes a dreaded inevitability that they must endure. Because they extensively repeat the same actions, time is cyclical. Each character seems to have a faulty memory, which further proves problematic.For example, this is seen in a conversation between Vladimir and Estragon: Vladimir: â€Å"That passed the time. † Estragon: â€Å"It wo uld have passed in any case. † Vladimir: â€Å"Yes, but not so rapidly. †. Time loses meaning and value when the actions of one day are without purpose or certainty on the next. Tragically, Estragon is regularly beaten, he admits: â€Å"Beat me? Certainly they beat me. †. And Vladimir suffers from kidney troubles. Estragon’s feet and Vladimir’s kidneys are also taken to be granted. They both resent that they should be asked whether it still hurts. It is implied that it hurts all the time.When Vladimir asks Estragon whether his boots are hurting him, he responds: â€Å"Hurts! He wants to know if it hurts! †. Estragon then asks Vladimir of his kidney trouble and comically Vladimir responds: â€Å"Hurts! He wants to know if it hurts! †. In actuality his trouble is so great that it does not even permit him to laugh. The comedy in Waiting for Godot quickly turns into tragedy at the thought of the helplessness Estragon and Vladimir now face. The two are waiting for someone who never arrives. In order to pass time they participate in irrelevant, meaningless activity.Their lives are impossible to control and are without pleasure and their lifestyles are extremely tragic as it is. The source is the situation of pointless waiting of Estragon and Vladimir. They do not know who Godot is and even do not know what will happen if they stop waiting. Lack of essential knowledge makes them totally impotent and powerless. The total atmosphere of the play is very bleak to dark-comedy. For example, Vladimir is determined not to hear Estragon’s nightmare. However, Estragon still pleads with him in vain to hear him, saying that there is nobody else to whom he may communicate his private nightmares.The situation of Lucky is comically pathetic, especially in view of his glorious past, as Pozzo describes it. Lucky is apparently frustrated and obsessed with life and the struggles himself and people as a whole must endure and begins to rant: â€Å"†¦ the flames, the tears the stones so blue so calm alas alas on on the skull the skull the skull the skull in Connemara in spite of the tennis, the labors abandoned left unfinished graver still abode of stones in a word I resume alas alas abandoned unfinished the skull the skull in Connemara in spite of the tennis the skull alas the stones Cunard tennis †¦ the stones †¦ so calm †¦Cunard †¦ unfinished †¦Ã¢â‚¬ A comic moment involves Estragon putting off and on his boots, as well as Vladimir’s game with his hat which appears as if he was performing at a circus. He also suffers from a prostrate problem and walks with stiff and short strides. The two each seem to engage often in unsure banter and easily influenced decisions, for example: Estragon: â€Å"Let’s go. † Vladimir: â€Å"We cannot. † Estragon: â€Å"Why not? † Vladimir: â€Å"We are waiting for Godot. † (They do not move. ) Estragon and V ladimir put on and take off each other’s hat as well as that of Lucky again and again.It shows that in the world of tramps, there is no place of significant actions. The most farcical situation in the play is the one where the tramps are testing the strength of the cord with which they wish to hang themselves and the cord breaks under the strain. Waiting for Godot consists of two men unable to act, move, or think in any significant way while they kill time waiting for a mysterious man, Godot. The characters fail to realize that this very act of waiting is a choice; instead, they view it as a mandatory part of their daily routine.This habit of uncertainty extends even to the most extreme of decisions, for example: Vladimir: â€Å"We’ll hang ourselves tomorrow†¦unless Godot comes. † Estragon: â€Å"And if he comes? † Vladimir: â€Å"Then we’ll be saved. † Their inability to make conscious decisions can be viewed as tragically unfortunate, while at the same time it can also create humor. Conclusion In conclusion, multiple comic and tragic schemes were identified, as well as the theme of the drama; confirming Waiting for Godot as a tragic-comedy.Certain events and dialogue between characters throughout the story promoted tragic and comic scenarios successfully and proved to be legitimate examples. While Waiting for Godot contains tragedy and comedy, is this the expectation for all dramas to qualify as a tragic-comedy? Finally, all and every story should be precisely and attentively observed before generalizing it within a label, to prevent pre-determined opinions and encourage personal perspective.

Chemistry Module 6 Separation of a Mixture of Solid Essay

This lab experiment was conduct and taught based upon the primary instruction and introduction to mixtures. With this lab I was able to determine and execute the proper separation of a mixture of solids through various means, such as evaporation and filtration. Using these techniques presented the separation of different ingredients from a mixture was conducted based upon the usage of individual physical properties of each substance presented in the mixture. . Observations: Throughout this experiment I noted several things. For example as I was heating the sand I completely forgot to cover the top to prevent splatter. Although I did heat the mixture at a much slower speed, this resulted in a loss of sample, further impacting my overall results and contributing to my percent error totals, as the sand was bubbling and slightly splattered. Also, I noted my stirring rod, along with the other tools used, had a bit of solution attached to them. Although minuet in amount I should have weighed and taken note upon the mass of my materials before and after the procedures. Questions: A. How did your proposed Procedures or flow charts at the beginning of this experiment compare to the actual Procedures of this lab exercise? B. Discuss potential advantages or disadvantages of your proposed Procedure compared to the one actually used. C. How would you explain a sand recovery percentage that is higher than the original sand percentage? D. What were potential sources of error in this experiment? A.) The methods I proposed were highly similar to the instructions used in the labpaq manual. Just as stated in the instructions, I would have used the magnet to separate iron fillings, but I would have thought lastly upon evaporation for the sand separation and used the filter. B.) A potential disadvantage of simply filtering out the sand, is that fact that the benzoic acid substance, that was not completely dissolved could have too be filtered out. Also in the filtering of iron with the magnet I would have never thought to use a bag. C.) I could explain a sand recovery percentage that was higher than that of the original sand percentage, as simply a contamination of the other substances left within the sand, such as if the sand were not completely dry as there would still be water that would be included in the measured value, or possibly the benzoic acid? D.) The potential sources of error found in this experiment could include the was heating the sand I completely forgot to cover the top to prevent splatter, removing the mixture out of the ice before adequate crystallization had occurred,. Possibly having the sand, NaCl, or benzoic acid sticking to the iron, also maybe incomplete drying. How did your flow diagram for completing the separation compare to what was really done in the experiment? Were there any advantages or disadvantages to performing the separation the way you first thought it out? Discuss these advantages and disadvantages in the context how the approach might affect the measurement of some of the materials you separated. My flow diagram thought out prior to the conducting of this experiment was carried out well. The methods I proposed were highly similar to the instructions used in the labpaq manual. Just as stated in the instructions, I would have used the magnet to separate iron fillings, but I would have thought lastly upon evaporation for the sand separation and used the filter. I thought it was rather obvious to use the magnet for the iron filings, but really did not have an educated guess for how to separate the rest. A potential disadvantage of simply filtering out the sand, is that fact that the benzoic acid substance, that was not completely dissolved could have too be filtered out. Also in the filtering of iron with the magnet I would have never thought to use a bag. All together these simple differences, although minuet could have greatly altered my results and manipulated the entire data table.

Why Is Cultural Diversity a Concept Diversity That Businesses Today Term Paper

Why Is Cultural Diversity a Concept Diversity That Businesses Today Should Value - Term Paper Example Cultural diversity can be defined as the cultural differences and cultural variety that exist around the world, society, nation, or an institution. It is important for business organizations to understand the role and challenges that cultural diversity plays in influencing economic success. In a World Report titled, investing in Cultural Diversity and Intercultural Dialogue, the UN Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) explains the importance of diversity; in a highly globalized marketplace, the ability of organizations to diversify their products according to various consumers adds significant value to the brand image, and product value of the business. This paper, therefore, seeks to outline the benefits of cultural diversity to a business. Analysis Today, Cultural diversity plays a major role in the marketing strategies, brand image, and conceptions of products that successfully hit the global market. Multinational organizations that make it in the global marke t customize and diversify their products to meet the expectations of the various international markets they intend to capture. Cultural diversification is the answer to cultural isolationism, the development of intercultural skills in organizations, and the means to reducing imbalances in world differences. Business corporations need to understand the concept of cultural diversity and incorporate this concept into business operations due to its various benefits (Laroche, 2003). Advantages of Cultural Diversity in Business Business Communication Cultural diversity enables the organization to understand the cultural norms, taboos, biases in political, social and spiritual issues of other people, regions, countries, or continents. Business organizations must understand the cultural eccentricities of their competitors before making contact with foreign clients of other subcultures. Cultural diversity also enables businesses to understand verbal and non-verbal cues appropriate to various international business dealings; this is on the basis of subcultures relevant to the foreign countries (Ingram, 2013). Access to Domestic and International Markets Human beings are of various ancestries and languages. Cultural diversity, therefore; Opens up new market networks at a local, regional and international level Enables businesses to serve and understand an increasingly dynamic clientele. Provides the business with crucial language skills, cultural understanding and knowledge. Provides the business with vital information regarding protocols, and practices in overseas markets. Provides business with low cost intimate details regarding consumer tastes and preferences in overseas markets (Diversity Council Australia, 2013, 1). Productivity and Innovation A business can maximize the efficiency and productivity of its personnel through; Improving cross-cultural communication and understanding thus fostering cohesive efforts at work. Identifying and embracing the full range skil ls of employees, eliminating obstacles in the working processes, and capitalizing on the skills of the workforce. Research shows that, businesses that encourage innovative ideas from a cross-cultural workforce, meet their product launch dates 47% more often, and revenue targets 46% more often than their competitors (Diversity Council Australia, 2013, 1). People from India and China benefit companies in the United States with their stellar quantitative skills while European workers do very well in high-level jobs (Laroche 2003). Valuing Cultural Diversity Enables the Business to Capture the Best Talent Cultural diversit

E-Waste Environmental and Workers issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

E-Waste Environmental and Workers issues - Essay Example It also presents the brighter side of upgrading e-waste or called e-cycling. Jim Puckett et al (2002) define electronic waste or e-waste as the increasing scope of electronic devices ranging from huge appliances in different households such as refrigerators, air conditioners, mobile hand-held cellular phones, personal stereos, and consumer electronics up to computers. E-waste is dangerous. E-waste consists of 1,000 various substances in which most of these are toxic and contributes to the gravity of pollution when disposed. Some of these toxic chemicals are (1) lead and cadmium found in circuit boards, (2) lead oxide and cadmium in cathode ray tube (CRTs) of monitors, (3) mercury in switches and flat screen monitors, (4) cadmium in computer batteries, (5) polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in old capacitors and transformers, and (6) brominated flame retardants on printed circuit boards, plastic casings, cables and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) cable insulations. (Puckett et al, 2002) E-waste is produced at alarming rates due to obsolescence. The fast paced development of technology resulted to for many gadgets, hardware systems, computers to be replaced in a short span of time. For example, a computer system which can last for five years or so is replaced in a year or two because of increasing technological developments that produced new and updated products. Also when electronics and other devices break down, the cost of repair can be higher than buying new ones. The high rates of obsolescence increase the volume of waste as compared to consumer goods like food. (Puckett et al, 2002) Puckett et al (2002) discuss that e-waste is produced by three (3) major sectors in the United States: (1) individuals and businesses, (2) large businesses, institutions, and governments, and (3) original equipment manufacturers. For the first sector, the equipments most frequently disposed by households and businesses are computers. The primary reason for this is not because of

INDIAN NEGOTIATION STYLES Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

INDIAN NEGOTIATION STYLES - Thesis Example destination for most investors a factor confirmed by the current trend where the country is ranked the third most attractive market for FDI globally (Low, 2010). With the flow of FDI there comes an immediate need for investors to create a rapport with the local business people, the government and in entirety local stakeholders. Otherwise, the chances of failure for a new entrant increase with every breakdown of new negotiations. Weiss (2008), brings to the fore the importance of international business (IB) negotiations. He cites that the numbers of IB negotiations have exploded in the past decade and there is clear evidence that they are not about to abate. At the same time, Weiss (2008), points that IB are not as straight forward due to the presence of existent nuances on how people behave, often represented by culture. In light of these differences, it becomes very important that a negotiating party understands the differences to avoid misunderstanding and thus build mutually benef icial relationships. The identification of India as the next frontier of development has helped draw a lot of attention to the emerging economy. At the same time, those who have taken time to study the economy realize that Indians are a highly cultural people whose cultural tenets dictate every activity they undertake. These cultural nuances are evident even in business negotiations. Based on studies such as those by Low (2010) and Cellich and Jain (2012) it is clear that culture takes on a very critical role in international business negotiations. It is thus very important for every business to immensely invest in understanding the other party’s culture to ensure a positive influence. The urgency to study a foreign culture increases especially when there are clear differences on the approaches, views and cultural cues. This can be said to be the case between India and the US. The latter is historically recognized as home to the world’s major investors while the former is as

Business Policy and Strategic Management Assignment

Business Policy and Strategic Management - Assignment Example The employees are not binded by formalities and teams are cross-functional. Secondly, Southwest does not provide too much personalization in its services which keeps its cost low and also provides for standardization in services. Although high end facilities are not made available to the employees, but standard services and low cost is what makes Southwest an exceptional case amongst the airline competitors. Weaknesses Southwest suffers from certain internal management limitations which arise from leadership incompetency. Lately the organization had suffered dramatic shift in the way culture was managed by its leaders- from Herb Kelleher to Gary Kelly. Loss of relationships, affection and cultural match took place which was worsened by the externalities of increased safety demands, fuel prices and customer complaints. Recommendation Southwest has always thrived on the motto of providing services to the customers at rock bottom prices which its rivals could not. To sustain this feat, it is recommended that southwest should concentrate on its human resource development. Till date, its workforce strategies and strengthened human capital had garnered it the much needed reputation and profitability. In the future also, it needs to develop its employees by means of cross-departmental training and encouraging them to come up with greater innovation.

Final Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Final - Assignment Example The power of media, as a source of credibility, is a tool of political persuasion. The linkage between politics and media has not been explored extensively with a little research connecting the two. It is important to research on the extent to which persuasion in news media depends on the viewers and listeners attitudes towards the news media as an association. One source confirms that people who trusted the media were susceptible to agenda settings from media information. Other studies show that people tend to adopt the position of media hosts, especially where the host is trustworthy and knowledgeable (Wasserstrom 25). During the political campaigns, media houses carry out pre-polling surveys and provide statistics to the public. In some cases, media gives factual results and in some cases non- factual. Politicians’ incentives lead them to favor information sources they can control and try to reduce the influence of sources affiliated with rival political factions or with no faction (Wasserstrom 34). This is done to counteract negative publicity as portrayed by rival politicians in the same race for a political seat. As a way of influencing the public’s behavior on the main Election Day, the majority of the public adopts the media’s story and votes for or against the particular candidate. In examining press freedom, media houses are allowed by law to filter the information they share with public to suit a particular interest so long as the interest is not meant to cause violence or harm to the public. Professional journalism is the only way to ensure credibility in the media to gain public trust. An attempt to understand media freedom introduces media pluralism, which a few people would oppose in principle. The media have allowed access to a broad range of cultural expressions and political views, which constitute the fundamental policies of the media policy which directly link media with democracy (Wasserstrom 54). This views that media pluralism as a political, theoretical, or empirical approach, which is believed to embody the central conflicts in modern thinking about the societal role of media. Religion contributes in the creation of the collective consciousness of the faithful, which builds strong religious bonds among the Christians. Religion has its own established institutional frameworks which immensely contribute in the enactment of laws and maintenance of peace and order in a nation. Moreover, the religious institutions influence the economic status of nations given that the church and society are inseparable. Religion also plays a role in the rehabilitation programs of errant members of society, hence enhancing peace and order in the society. This results in reduction of crime rate and increase in economic activities. This results from the small scale entrepreneurship and farming done by the rehabilitated criminals. Education contributes to proficient communication, which influences the socialization of citizens in politics. For instance, verbal communication is sufficient in communication, hence communication through writing is also emphasized. This is because communicating verbally enhances stressing of points and it is more lively compared to the written communication. The average people realize that communication through writing enables people to appreciate social interactions. In addition, the latter provides a record of events, thus in case there is a need for information reference can be made easily to the documented written document. The majority of people

Strategic Evaluation of McDonalds Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Strategic Evaluation of McDonalds - Essay Example †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.13 Appendices †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...15 Executive summary Strategy is an essential component in the management of corporate and small enterprises in the current competitive business environment. This paper looks at the McDonalds in terms of evaluating the organization’s strategy. From a national giant in the early days, the company today boats of international presence in about 119 countries and in effect estimated to be serving over 40 million clients daily around the globe. The paper evaluates both the inner and peripheral environments in where the company functions through the use of various evaluation and analysis tools like: PESTEL, SWOT and Porter’s generic forces among others. All these sum up the company’s overall strategic position and what needs to be done to be able to counter the various challenges that it might face in the process of implementing strategy. Strategic Evaluation of McDonalds Introduction Strategy is an essential component of any organization that operates in a highly competitive industry or market. Strategic management can be classified into three broad categories (Lynch 2012). The first category defies the main aims of the organization and the formations it has developed to realize its objectives. The Subsequent category involves the identification of markets and exploring them in a way that guarantees competitiveness. The final classification involves the examination of the organization’s main objectives, purposes or goals and how it intends to achieve them through established frameworks. This paper will examine the various forms of strategic mo dels by using a multi national food service... The historical position of this company has been of great admiration to many upcoming businesses. This is a corporation that has risen from the mid 1950’s to become a valued player in the area of food service. The founder of the restaurant chains, Ray Kroc has an exceptional background and it is through hard work that this venture has become a household name (Waldron 2010). From a national giant in the early days, the company today boasts of international presence in about 119 countries and in effect estimated to be serving over 40 million clients daily around the globe (McDonalds 2012). In addition to this already massive statistics, the company has a net worth estimated to be around 25 billion US dollars. The company has been able to achieve this through properly formulated strategies and one of the organization’s strategies has been the development new dishes and favorite fast foods to suit new tastes. In addition, the corporation has been capable in infiltrating the market by largely using franchises that account for 80% of its operational stores (McDonalds 2012). To have a clear insight of how the company has been able to grow and the strategies it has employed, this paper will analyze the company by use of various strategy evaluation models. Strategic Analysis The approach used in the strategic analysis of the organization will be in terms of four main areas or components of strategy analysis that includes the purpose, external environmental analysis, internal resource analysis and strategic formulation.

Feminism and Cultural Identity Essay Example for Free

Feminism and Cultural Identity Essay Barbie, a worldwide viral doll known for her interest in adult-fashioned roles, indirectly constitutes the way American girls should grow up to be. With the creation of this doll came the thirst and need to sell it. Therefore, just one version of the Barbie doll is not sufficient. Mattel Inc., famous for its numerous toy creations yet infamous for its many controversies, has made Barbie’s boyfriend, sister, cousin and even her dog. Consequently, Mattel created Barbie collectibles that included the â€Å"Barbie Dolls of the World†. In this collection, the creation â€Å"the notorious PR Barbie† as Frances Negrà ³n-Muntaner states in Barbie’s Hair: Selling Out Puerto Rican Identity in the Global Market, has developed confusion, furiousness and also indifference in the Puerto Rican society. In Sandra Cisneros’ essay, Barbie Q, Barbie’s values are as she physically is, merely plastic. She is a â€Å"mean-eyed† fashionista boyfriend stealer with emphasis on the stealing part. Barbie has made society assume that girls and women’s interests are only based on their looks and men. At the same time, girls around the world are getting brainwashed into thinking that is what they were made to do and how they are meant to be. Because Barbie dolls are used by young girls who may be in the process finding who they are, these girls may grow up with these sexist values in their lives. With this being said, young girls are offered a very superficial way of life, the life of a Barbie, which may be pretty and cute from the outside but it’s a very fake one. With this, society has created a twisted way of how a girl or woman should be like. On this essay’s last paragraphs describes where the protagonists dolls come from; a flea market. The doll she had probably was damaged by a fire, but as she describes the damages it shows that in a way the child accepts not only the doll’s flaws, but her own. With this, she will not let society define perfection. And the search for perfection will be her own, not what society has taught. Another essay that embarks the same issue with Barbie dolls is the previously mentioned by Frances Negrà ³n-Muntaner. In this essay, Negrà ³n, states that when Mattel brought the new Boricua personage to the â€Å"Barbie Dolls of the World† collection, Puerto Rican people from both the island and migrants in the United States had distinct yet connected opinions of the doll. Island intellectuals criticized the doll’s Americanized ideal of what a Puerto Rican should be and is like, this being a wavy-haired mulatta. Still, Puerto Ricans living on the island bought the doll and made it one of the most sold. On the other hand, Islanders now living in the United States considered the doll â€Å"straight-haired and white†. The Puerto Rican Barbie offers young girls a misconception of what a Puerto Rican really is. The Puerto Rican Barbie was conceived almost in the 21st century with the mannerisms of a 19th century jà ­bara (a country-side woman). The idea behind â€Å"Barbie Dolls of the World† was that American girls learned about different cultures in the world. Since Barbie’s are sold worldwide, there is an issue that is developed instantly. The American corporation Mattel has a big dilemma: making sure that the conception of the dolls is loyal to the culture it corresponds, an issue that they did not pay attention with proximity for the Puerto Rican Barbie doll. Thanks to this doll, people from around the world perceive Puerto Rican identity as country mulatto men and women. When in reality, Puerto Rico’s race is a mix of African, Spanish and Taà ­no (natives): â€Å"The lingering impression that the Puerto Rican Barbie was essentially white and that its â€Å"mulattoness† was a cultural masquerade was reinforced by the box’s ethnic â€Å"origin† story for Puerto Ricans: ‘My country was discovered in 1493 by Christopher Columbus who claimed it for Spain.’ In only mentioning that the island was discovered by Columbus, Mattel and its allies connote that all Puerto Ricans are fundamentally Europeans and banish the influence of Natives and Africans to the back of the bus.† The doll’s box, to a certain point, limits the explanation of the Puerto Rican race and the consumer to his or her understanding and knowledge of the Puerto Rican culture, or any culture for that matter. The owner of the Barbie doll, or society passes to believe what the box primarily says. Usually, stereotypes are a general knowledge of a country or a culture. This not being the case on the Puerto Rican conception of the Barbie doll, she is put as an olive skinned, jà ­bara with a bomba dress, that in reality looks like a European dress with encaje (lace). If the doll was a jà ­bara (low class countryside woman) with a bomba dress, why did it have lace when it is a sign of a high-class European wardrobe? â€Å"The doll’s main concern is for you to ‘like the special white dress I am wearing. It is very typical of a dress I might wear to a festival of a party.’† states Frances Negrà ³n-Muntaner. The Puerto Rican doll is a complete stereotype of what a Puerto Rican is. If the box said that the doll is wearing a traditional outfit, or explained how our culture developed, it would be a different story. Nevertheless, the doll is put in a 19th century context when it was almost created within the new millennium. Clearly, Puerto Ricans must have passed through modernization or what Puerto Rican intellectuals call â€Å"Americanization†. Also, the doll’s features are the ones of a mulatto, when Puerto Ricans have a mixture of African, Taà ­no and Spanish. Puerto Rican’s ethnic background is omitted with this doll. However, the most controversial issue with this doll wasn’t its skin color or its â€Å"fiesta† wardrobe, it was its hair, as the essay’s title says: â€Å"Barbie’s Hair†. Frances Negrà ³n-Muntaner shows various Puerto Rican opinions on the doll’s hair but the most outrageous states as follows: â€Å"Lourdes Pà ©rez, a Puerto Rican Chicago-based, San Juan-raised interior decorator, was horrified at what she saw: ‘I don’t care that she’s white. Puerto Ricans come in all colors. But when I saw that hair, I thought ‘Dios mà ­o’, we just passed a terrible legacy to the next generation.â⠂¬â„¢ Despite exasperated responses from some Puerto Rico-based (white) men- â€Å"[t]his woman is saying that the prevalent lack of respect, the lawlessness, drugs, driving conditions, domestic and child abuse aren’t as terrible a legacy as a straight-haired Barbie† Lourdes Pà ©rez then was pointed out by Louis Aguilar as a Puerto Rican woman who probably spent countless hours straightening her hair before going to the office or school. She was described as a woman ashamed of her griferà ­a. Pà ©rez contradicts herself in the previous quote because she emphasized, â€Å"Puerto Ricans come in all colors† and yet criticized what big hair the doll had. Puerto Ricans, as previously informed, are a mix of 3 bloods: Taà ­no, Spanish and African. Therefore, the issue that the Puerto Rican Barbie’s hair provoked is illogical. What Mattel should have worked on better, were its features and the box historical background. Because Barbie is a globalized toy, it is impo rtant that the company portrays the culture correctly so people won’t generalize when in contact with another culture. The representation of Barbies as women helps re-create stereotypes because girls that play with these dolls are in the stage of life where they are in the process of formation as a human being. The doll’s profession or wardrobe will be what the child wants to grow up and be or know. Barbies as women are key to generalization and dolls should be what a kid wants it to be, not what a company wants women to be. In a way, Negrà ³n-Muntaner suggests in â€Å"Barbie’s Hair† that cultural stereotypes affect not only how people around the world view Puerto Ricans but also how Puerto Ricans view themselves. A sort of indifference has been created with this doll. Puerto Rican folk know that the doll’s historical background is completely disfigured yet they still go out and buy the collectible Barbie. That is to say, Puerto Ricans have passed to not care about how other people view them. People around the world see Puerto Ricans like the doll; peasants wearing bomba dresses with European lace, that meant the person is in a higher social class. It’s a bad combination of what we are. By reading these materials it has been clearly learned that it is very important that people know have a deep sense of they are and where they come from. Also, not to generalize a culture with a doll meant for a specific country. It is essential that we, as Puerto Ricans, become proud of our roots and get to know where we come from. We cannot limit our knowledge of what a Puerto Rican is and where he or she comes from to a doll. It is also necessary that girls own up to a Barbie, not the other way around. A Barbie is not a paradigm of what a girl should grow up to be. We are not perfect or plastic and we are not meant to be it either. This is where society fails. Most people don’t let their children know that they are perfect in their own way. It is most important that we let others know the wrongs that come from generalization and stereotypes. These, along with prejudice, paralyze and deactivate intelligence because people won’t let it flow or let he or she get influenced by other cultures and learn. [ 1 ]. Mulatto is the race mix of Spanish and Taà ­no. [ 2 ]. African-Puerto Rican dance that the lower class performed. [ 3 ]. Known as big kinky hair passed African folk.

The Relationship between Sustainable Development and Product Innovation in the Body Shop

The Relationship between Sustainable Development and Product Innovation in the Body Shop Abstract Currently, the general public is concerned about sustainable development and the effect on business activities is much discussed. This project will mainly focus on product innovation, and analyze how the successful business The Body Shop integrated the issue into its business plan in the fashion market in the UK. Theories of sustainable business strategy have already been carried out by many experts and the achievements of The Body Shop also have been highlighted. Regarding product innovation, it is concluded that although some of the sustainable product designs need to be improved, however, it is still successful to reach the environmental product innovation development. This may be of use to business, especially for those who are seeking for the most proper sustainable business strategy. Contents Abstract List of figures Introductionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..1 Sustainable Developmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.3 Definitionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..3 Impact on enterpriseà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..5 Product Innovationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..9 Innovation and NPDà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..9 Product innovation for the environmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.11 The Fashion Market in the UK: The Body Shopà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦14 Conclusionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..18 List of referencesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦20 List of Figures Figure 1. The Three Components of Sustainabilityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..4 Figure 2. The Enterprise Management Modelà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦6 Figure 3. Interactive Model of Innovationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦10 Figure 4. A Framework of Achieving Green Designà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.12 Introduction In recent decades, the importance of sustainable development has been globally emphasized and discussed in the business approaches in all realms of the market. As Rainey (2006:84) mentioned, it is important for business to integrate the environment issues with the business management approaches. Companies, in the present time, not only have to make the maximum profit for shareholders but also need to maintain the balance of environment when they are implementing business activities. In the fashion market, developing a new product through the philosophy of sustainability is the most efficient way to achieve the sustainable requirements successfully. As Stamm (2008) commented, designing a sustainable product can avoid the cost of repairing the damage to the environment and also help the company to adapt to the environmental requirements rapidly. Therefore, focusing on producing eco-friendly products can be a vital issue. Although much of the literature is emphasizing the importance of implementing the sustainable product innovation, there is still little companies can do to achieve the goal successfully. As Carrillo-Hermosilla (2009) stated, since there is a wide range of sustainable strategies, it might be risky for companies to adapt the approach in an uncoordinated manner. According to Buchholtz (2006) the relationships between business and society seem to support this, and reach a conclusion that when companies announce taking the responsibility to meet the social expectations, it will be examined in a more critical way by the general public. The aim of the project is to examine the well-known company in the UK fashion market, namely The Body Shop to see how it achieves the sustainability requirements when running the business and how the product is developed in a sustainable way. The project will first start with the definition of the sustainable development, then analyze how the business approach is affected by the sustainable issue. Finally, it will focus on the product innovation for the environmental protection and examine The Body Shop in compliance with the theories mentioned. 1. Sustainable Development 1.1 Definition of Sustainable Development There is a strong possibility that business activities will generate numerous environmental crises when they mainly aim at maximizing profit. Some examples of the damage are environmental pollution, ever-increasing problems of waste disposal, and the erosion of local cultures and environment caused by the booming tourism industry. Therefore, the regulations of environmental protection are essential to ensure well-being both at present and in the future. (Carrillo 2009:1) Sustainability, which was brought to public attention in the 1970s, was clearly outlined in the Brundtland Report, which stated that it is crucial that the economic development be prevented from exhausting natural resources and the environment should be repaired. In the past, the concept of sustainability was deemed to be similar to environmental protection, which in the present time has been extended to include three dimensions, namely economic, social, and environmental (Elkington 1999). Figure 1. The three components of sustainability Source: Crane (2004:23) Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. (World Commission on Environment and Development 1987) More specifically, the three segments of sustainable development represent different meanings. The environmental part is to decrease the damage of human activity on limited natural resources and to protect the health of environment for the future generation. The aim of the economic segment is to protect the future generations from the disadvantages of continuing population or industrial activity growth. The final part is the social segment. This mainly focuses on the influence of business activities on native people. With the coming of the age of sustainable development, more and more companies are beginning to reexamine themselves. For example, in the UK, as Crane (2007:24) stated, the popularity of the dish named Fish and Chips, caused a severe overfishing problem. As a response, the government imported fish from other more sustainable resources to ameliorate the harm to the bio-system. 1.2 Impact on Enterprise Sustainable development has significantly affected the business management approaches over the past few decades. Although it is risky for business to adapt themselves to the requirements of sustainable development, companies still can take advantage of the emerging issue by formulating effective sustainable strategies. (Rainey, 2006) In order to develop a holistic sustainable strategy, it is useful to apply the enterprise management model (EMM) to achieve the SWOT analysis. As Rainey (2006:87) provided, the EMM presents an overview of the environment of business which is much closer to the practical business environment. Business can develop the sustainable strategies by analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of internal components and the opportunities and threats of external surrounding. Figure 2. The Enterprise Management Model Source: Rainey (2006:88) Firstly, business can conduct the SW analysis. The internal environment is presented as a value-added process in EMM which provides the business a complete structure to maintain the balance of environment and avoid producing toxic waste. By examining the process of producing products, business can make sure that the sustainable development is followed not only by the business itself but also by the material suppliers. (Rainey, 2006:90) Furthermore, companies should analyze the opportunities and threats of the external environment, which mainly focuses on the effects of shareholders and the infrastructure. Shareholders are the people who can affect the practice of business operation and marketing strategies. The infrastructure is the facility which supports business to meet the social expectations. Both of them are associated with the aspects of social, political/legal, economic, technology, competition, ecology, and ethical and connect the external surrounding and internal elements with the knowledge and information flow. (Rainey, 2006:91) After the SWOT analysis, it seems possible that companies are able to develop sustainable strategies in an organized manner. According to Weybrecht (2010:387), the sustainable strategy was developed depends on whether the business applied it to the whole business approaches or only integrated it in an uncoordinated way. However, there is a far less agreement about the possible sustainable strategies. Rainey (2006) concluded that the sustainable strategies need to be designed in a systematic method which linking the several possible sustainable issues with the supply networks, operation, distribution, markets and customers, and retirement disposal. Although businesses are adapted to the sustainable development by setting the effective sustainable strategies, it still cannot be successful without the cultural change. Changing the business culture means to establish sustainable thinking and knowledge in the organization. As Weybrecht(2010:255) claimed the sustainable culture can be built in the following process: Communication- hold discussions constantly to exchange the ideas about sustainability. Recruiting- hiring the right person to lead the sustainable related management activities. Feedback- training staff by offering some sustainable related education programs and give some rewards when staffs achieve the sustainable mission successfully. By following the steps above, the concepts of sustainability can be built from the bottom of the organization to the top. (Weybrecht, 2010:255) 2. Product Innovation 2.1 Innovation and NPD Innovation plays a considerably important part in the present time. As Trott (2008) pointed out, since the 1930s, many researchers have argued about the relationship between innovation and economic growth. It seems that issues about innovation have drawn public attention for many years and are still being discussed until now. However, the relationship between innovation and business management has been highlighted and widely discussed since Abernathy and Utterback(1978) contended that the birth of any industrial sector is associated with the one radical innovation by another and the widespread incremental innovation, which means that the power of innovation decides the fate of new business. Since the rising popularity of innovation, the explanation of innovation is defined in many different ways. According to Stamm (2008:259), innovation includes creativity and implementation, which means innovation not only requires creativity, to generate new ideas, but also implementation which me ans the business activities to realize the unique ideas. Implementation is a process of business activities which plays a determined role in the success of innovation. As Stamm (2008:273) analyzed, the implementation can be divided into three steps, namely idea selection, development, and commercialization which turn the creativity into a rigid one. Figure 3. Interactive Model of Innovation Source: Trott (2008:23) As Trott (2008) stated, innovation is the result of the marketplace, the science base, and the organizations capabilities and affected by the increasing improvement of technology and the needs of the market. Moreover, in the process of new product development (NPD), examining the different aspects of a product is an important process to achieve the product innovation. Trott (2008) showed the five aspects of marketing, economics, design and engineering, RD, and production management, which provided companies with the direction to develop new products. Although companies can make profits by decreasing the cost of manufacture, the sales increase will not last for a long time since the competitor will set a relatively low price quickly which will turn the competition of market share into a vicious circle. Also, the long-term methods to increase the market share and be a market leader is to create the competing ability which is hard to imitate. 2.2 Product Innovation for the Environment The concept of product innovation for the environment is to design a product which lowers the impact on the business environment, and meets the social expectations. In the dynamic environment, how to produce a product that meets the requirement of sustainability becomes the most important issue. Although staff from the top to the bottom all need to be responsible for the change of sustainable development, the most efficient way is to focus on the design. A comment by MacKenzie stated, Designers are the central part of product innovation as they embrace the holistic knowledge to design an eco-friendly product. This opinion is also supported by Carrillo-Hermosilla (2009:98) which mentioned that design for environment can decrease the reprocessing cost and avoid encountering problems in the end of product life. As Burell (1992:91) suggested that the design of an environmentally friendly product can follow four dimensions. The framework for achieving green design is presented as follow: Material Conscious Energy conscious Green Design Maximize product life Design for recyclability Figure 4. A framework for achieving green design Source: Adapted from Burall (1992:92) In order to achieve the requirement of sustainability, companies need to minimize the use of hazardous materials and find the alternative ingredients which do not come from the scarce resources. Additionally, companies can also use the material which is beneficial to the environment such as recyclable paper. Also, it is essential to make sure that the suppliers follow the standard of environmental protection which will not affect the sustainable achievement of the company. Moreover, saving energy is also an important issue. Currently, many environmental issues like global warming are caused by the overuse of energy power. Business should design the product which can lower the consumption of energy and be user-friendly for customer to operate. With regard to the design for recyclability, although the company already uses natural resources, it still needs to avoid combining too many different ingredients which may lead the product to be difficult to recycle. Additionally, labeling the ingredients of products clearly can be helpful not only because the classifying work can be easier but also make the hazardous ingredients to be noticeable. Also, designing the long life products for re-use can reduce the amount of wastes. As to maximize product life, design a product which is more realistic than only fashionable and ameliorate the weakness of products can improve the companys reputation. Furthermore, it is also vital for companies to design a product which can be user-friendly and easier to be repaired. Developing eco-friendly products by examining through the four aspects can help companies to meet the sustainable standards more efficiently. Products which meet the social expectations can generate the profit in a long term way through the rising of companys reputation. (Burall, 1992) The Fashion market in the UK: The Body Shop The Body Shop was founded by Annita Roddick in Brighton in 1976. Unlike most cosmetics companies, the promotion concept of The Body Shop is to emphasize the suitable cosmetics products for the different age of people instead of selling the slogan that people can stop ageing because of using its products. With regard to the internal analysis of The Body Shop, in order to ensure the maintenance of sustainability, it chooses the natural resources to be its raw materials and builds a close connection with its suppliers. Also, due to meet its shareholders expectation of caring for the elder people in the community it trades with, The Body Shop establishes the Trade Not Aid to alleviate the poverty and help people who are suffering from low payment in the third world countries. Moreover, The Body Shop aims higher moral standards by not only building a soap factory in the deprived region instead of in the safe suburb but also donating 25% of the future profit to extend the local facilities. The concept of sustainability of The Body Shop is to consider the value of sustainability as a core issue in its decision making process. For example, when The Body Shop wants to develop a new product, it will examine each aspect of the product design which is related to the sustainable issues and devote itself to making the world as good as possible. In addition, The Body Shop founded a training school in 1985. The purpose of the training school is to educate its employees and related business partners about the knowledge of the latest environmental issues and considerate the awareness of environmental protection. (Roddick, 1992) As to the product innovation, green design, of The Body Shop, it is considered as a paradigm among various companies. There are two major applications of green design in The Body Shop. First of all, when it comes to the material conscious, most of the cosmetics products in The Body Shop consist of natural ingredients, such as, cocoa, and green mud. None of them are scarce or natural resources under threat. Secondly, there are some of the product designs for recyclability in The Body Shop. Before 1980s, The Body Shop particularly focused on the recycling and energy conservation schemes. After that The Body Shop started to pay attention to the environmental issues of packaging, waste and effluents and invented a bag which was made from recycled polyethylene in order to diminish the negative influences of its products. Besides, it encouraged the general public to use the non-chlorine bleached cotton bags which can be refillable. In 1992, The Body Shop was the first corporation in the UK which recycled its own post-customer recycled waste. However, it is important to point that learning how to use natural resources to produce sustainable products in the underdeveloped countries may lead to the overuse of the natural resources. Since the natural resources are rather unique in the underdeveloped countries, the company may only gather the natural resources from the certain countries, however, because of the great demand of certain useful materials, they may be overused, which in turn the natural resources may become scarce in the future. Take honey for example, honey is known as a natural ingredient which contains rich nutritive materials. However, the rapidly increasing demand of honey makes the amount become fewer and fewer. As a result, some of the companies are forced to stop using honey as their materials. Additionally, although it is believe that the economy of the third world countries gain benefits from the Trade no Aid activity because the indigenous people can avoid the price exploitation of the middle trader. However, trading with poorer countries might generate several drawbacks in these third-world countries. The most significant negative effect is on the economic development. Because the majority type of jobs offered by trading activities is usually low-paid or short-term job the benefit of this kind of jobs is limited. Although the living standard of indigenous people is improved temporarily, it must not be overlooked that the countries in the third world have become more and more dependent on foreign countries and less likely to change their economic status by themselves. Furthermore, although the concept of using cotton bags is a favorable idea to avoid the environmental pollution of plastic bags, it did not turn out to be widespread. In The Body Shop store, people are still using paper bags instead of the cotton bags. The reason why it is not as popular as it should be, might because it is inconvenient for customers to bring the cotton bag with them whenever they are out for shopping. However, this problem can be solved by providing customers some incentives to encourage them to use the cotton bags instead of paper bags. For instance, the body shop can offer customers a discount when they use the cotton bags. After the examination of the sustainable product innovation, it can be understand that it is challenging for companies to achieve the goal of sustainability. Conclusion Business approaches are significantly affected by sustainable development. Not only the development of business strategies and culture establishment but also the new product design was influenced by the issue. With regard to the development of sustainable strategy, it is important for companies to examine the internal and external business environment and make the difficulty of fulfilling the social expectations into an opportunity to earn a profit. Furthermore, when producing a product, it is essential to consider the usage of materials, the consumption energy, the life span of products, and the possibility of recycling. In the case study of The Body Shop, it can be clearly seen that the company has altered a wide range of the business approaches to meet the social expectations. However, the analysis also shows that the sustainable strategies of The Body Shop still can be improved, such as the promotion of cotton bag use and the way they help the countries in the third world. After discussing the relationship between sustainable development and product innovation, it was concluded that integrating the business approaches with the environment management can be successful in the real world and it will be more efficient when focusing on the green product design. As Buchholtz (2006:106) stated that an active involvement in the changing society can benefit a company from the significant challenge. It should be noted that other business approaches and different types of market, which is not described in detail in this project might also be related to the sustainable development. In the future, analyzing the different realms of market place can be helpful to those businesses which are interested in developing sustainable business approaches.

Leonardo Da Vinci Essay -- Art, The Mona Lisa

â€Å"Artist, inventor, and scientist Leonardo Da Vinci was one of the greatest thinkers of the Renaissance.† (Stewarts 19) Often referred to as the â€Å"Renaissance Man†, Leonardo Da Vinci was a true genius (Stewarts 19). On April 15, 1452, Leonardo Da Vinci was born in Vinci, Italy, and the world was never the same (Leonardo Renaissance  ¶ 1). His mother moved away shortly after, leaving Leonardo Da Vinci’s father, Ser Piero Da Vinci (Rosand 228), to raise him (Leonardo Renaissance  ¶ 1). Growing up on a family farm, Leonardo could easily study nature (Leonardo Reviewed  ¶ 3). Leonardo Da Vinci developed a vast amount of interests during his extraordinary life. At the age of 15, Leonardo Da Vinci began to apprentice an artist named Andrea del Verrocchio in Florence, Italy (Leonardo Renaissance  ¶ 2). This apprenticeship allowed Da Vinci to study the basics of sculpting and painting (Stewart 19). Although at a young age, Leonardo Da Vinci began to show signs of incredible talent (Leonardo Renaissance  ¶ 2). In fact, Andrea del Verrocchio permitted him paint an angel in his painting, the Baptism of Christ (Stewart 19). When Verrocchio realized Da Vinci’s angel was much more life-like than his own, Andrea del Verrocchio vowed never to paint again (Stewart 19). While Da Vinci was in Florence, several Scopeto monks requested that he paint an altarpiece called the â€Å"Adoration of the Kings† (Leonardo Reviewed  ¶ 5). However, Leonardo Da Vinci stopped working on this piece in 1481, leaving it incomplete (Leonardo Reviewed  ¶ 5). In 1482, Leonardo Da Vinci made the move to Milan to work for the Duke of Milan (Leonardo Reviewed  ¶ 6). He carried out a variety of tasks while working in Milan, including paintings, designing costumes, and working on vario... ...controlled the human body (Summers  ¶ 18). Another area of science Leonardo Da Vinci exhibited interest in was mechanics (Summers  ¶ 16). He produced designs for ideas such as parachutes, aircrafts, helicopters, and a flying machine (Summers  ¶ 16). Also, he designed assorted war machines, including tanks and machine guns, and movable bridges since he also worked as an engineer and military architect (Summers  ¶ 16). In 1513, the King of France, King Francis I, invited Leonardo to come to Paris and granted him with the title â€Å"Master of All Arts and Sciences† (Stewart 21).For six years, he lived and worked in France (Encyclopedia  ¶ 1). He died in France in 1519 (Stewart 21). Leonardo Da Vinci truly was â€Å"the most versatile genius of the Renaissance.† (Rosand 228) His accomplishments are still used in modern day and will always have a lasting impression on the world.

Berlin Wall Essay -- History

Berlin Wall The Berlin Wall, for twenty-eight years, separated friends, families, and a nation. A lot of suffering began for Germany when World War II commenced, but by the end of the war Germany was in the mists of a disaster waiting to happen. After WWII was over Germany was divided into four parts. The United States, Great Britain, and France controlled the three divisions that were formed in the Western half; and the Eastern half was controlled by the Soviet Republic. The Western divisions eventually united to make a federal republic, while the Eastern divisions became communist. Even though Berlin lay deep within the Soviet sector, the Allies thought it best to divide this capital. Therefore Berlin was also divided into four parts. The Soviet Union was in control of the eastern half of Germany. The Soviet Union made East Berlin the capital of East Germany. The other three counties were each in control of a small part of what was to be West Germany. These three countries decided that they would come together to form one country out of their three divided parts. Those three divided parts formed West Germany. After all the land was divided the Soviet Union controlled East Germany. Just like the Soviet Union, the economy in East Germany was struggling to get back on its feet after the war. While West Berlin became a lively urban area like many American cities, East Berlin became what many thought of as a ‘Mini-Moscow’. In East Germany there was literary almost nothing. The shelves in the stores were practically bare, and what was there was not in very good quality. At first, the divisions between East and West Berlin were uncertain. There was nothing that divided the city. For more than ten years after the official split of the city, East Berlin saw a major emigration of East Germans, unhappy with the communist system. Emigration was easy. With nothing physical to separate East and West Berlin, migration from totalitarianism to democracy was as easy for East Berliners as changing houses. The Soviet Union went against their promises to the people of East Germany, and made East Germany a Communist country. This decision by the Soviet Union separated East Germany even more from the rest of Europe. East Germany was now all by itself, and by the summer of 1952 the border between East and West Germany was closed; only in Berlin was the border... ...ts_01_p.htm Tusa, Ann; The Last Division: A History of Berlin, 1945-1989; Great Britain, 1997; Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc. Grathwol, Robert P. and Moorhus, Dontia M.; American Forces in Berlin: 1945-1994 Cold War Outpost; Washington D.C.: Dept. of Defense Legacy Resource Management Program, 1994 Berlin Wall Facts; http://www.dailysoft.com/berlinwall/history/facts_01_p.htm Knorr, Marco; citizen of West Germany; current roommate; interviewed on 11/17/99. Berlin Wall Facts; http://www.dailysoft.com/berlinwall/history/facts_01_p.htm Bowman, Stephan; â€Å"Crisis in Berlin†, VFW, November 1998; 34-38. â€Å"The Division and Unification of Germany: The Fall of the Berlin Wall†; http://members.tripod.com/~Nevermore/wall.html, 1-5. â€Å"The Division and Unification of Germany: The Fall of the Berlin Wall†; http://members.tripod.com/~Nevermore/wall.html; 1-5. Ramous, Andreas; â€Å"A Personal Account of the Fall of The Berlin Wall: The 11th and 12th of November, 1989†; http://www.andreas.com/berlin.html; 1-6. Berlin Wall Timeline; http://www.dailysoft.com/berlinwall/time.htm. Cooper, Belinda; â€Å"The Changing Faces of Berlin†, World Policy Institute; 57-68.

August Wilsonâ??s Fences :: essays research papers

August Wilson’s Fences August Wilson''s 1985 Pulitzer Prize-winning play, "Fences" thoughtfully examines the escalating racial tensions in America during the 1950s. The playwright deftly handles such complex social issues as racism and adultery without smug commentary. The subtle discussion of black America offers more insight than lecture, which heightens the dramatic impact upon the audience. Wilson recognizes that the family lies the foundation for American society as a whole, and shrewdly chooses family as the emphasis for "Fences." The play''s central focus is the Maxson''s, the instrument Wilson uses to introduce African-American culture to those who are unfamiliar. In the mid-1950s, America was still experiencing a post-World War II economic boon, and could at last allow foreign affairs to take a back seat to domestic issues. The social climate was becoming increasingly heated with the 1954 Supreme Court decision Brown v. The Board of Education of Topeka, which ruled school segregation was unconstitutional. This landmark ruling ignited racial tensions across America, which had been slowly simmering for years. The protagonist of "Fences" is former baseball player-turned Pittsburgh garbage man Troy Maxson, and the antagonist is clearly racism. It is racism which has defied Troy Maxson at every turn and his skin color stood in the way of his quest to grab a piece of the American dream for himself and his family. Racism creates the conflict, which causes Troy to feel that he has been "fenced" in by a discriminatory society. It has heated tensions within the Maxson home between Troy and his wife, Rose, and Troy and his son Cory. August Wilson establishes an impression of the 53-year-old Troy Maxson early in Act I, writing that he is "a large man with thick, heavy hands; it is this largeness that he strives to fill out and make an accommodation with.

Knowledge Management: PETRONAS

Introduction Today, oil and gas companies around the world are not just professional organizations who specialize in mechanical drilling and extraction processes. Increased oil demands and the need for improved productivity have forced these organizations into new methods and knowledge intensive approaches. For instance information technology has now become very much an integral part of the oil exploration and oil extraction business. The collaboration between multi disciplinary teams has become a norm. Real-time information communication from remote reservoirs, and processing of such data in a collaborative environment that involves multiple teams and vendor locations has become an essential part of the business decision making process. In other words, a knowledge based approach underlies the critical business decisions in oil majors. (Jemielniak & Kociatkievicz, 2009, pg 284). As an oil and gas extraction company of the world, with presence in more than 30 countries across the world, PETRONAS is one of the Oil Majors. Being an increasingly competitive sector, skilled staff are always on demand in the Oil and Gas industry. This implies that organizations have to defend against attrition and be armed with effective knowledge management practices that manage vital information about processes, best practices and information about field experts and tacit knowledge about the entire operational processes. Effective knowledge management process is at the heart of business competitiveness and success. Knowledge Management Knowledge is a multidimensional and heterogeneous entity. Proper storage, classification and retrieval of knowledge is critical for innovation, cost control and hence the competitiveness of any industry. Particularly, for knowledge intensive firms such as PETRONAS, where high skilled engineering processes are involved, there is a need for ‘integrated operations’ between various knowledge areas. Ultimately, improving the production optimization process is at the heart of all knowledge management practices in PETRONAS. One of the important areas that lack coordination in the Oil and gas sector in general is the working of the reservoir engineers, the production engineers and the process engineers at the facilities. This implies that operation decisions are not always made in consultation with the onshore engineers. In other words this leads to what is known as the fragmented approach. (Jemielniak & Kociatkievicz) 2009, pg 285 Integrated Operations (Process facility and reservoir sensors and Collaboration among vendors and operators) (Jemielniak & Kociatkievicz, 2009, pg 285) Information technology has now penetrated every area of the production and process control aspects of the Oil and Gas companies. However, most of these IT tools are specialized and lack the integration that makes it difficult to access relevant data for purposes of production analysis and optimization. It is necessary that all the three major divisions (reservoir management, production management and process management) exchange real-time data. A shared information space might be the answer to the problems as it promotes better access to real-time data and integration of the various processes, which is the key to achieving production optimization. (Jemielniak & Kociatkievicz, 2009, pg 284) Knowledge Management in PETRONAS Knowledge management practices are very recent at PETRONAS. As the Knowledge Management manager, Miss Murni Shariff, disclosed in a recent interview, only in 2006 the company seriously focused on KM practices. Prior to that KM was mostly restricted to content and information management. (KMTalk, 2009) There are two types of knowledge namely tacit knowledge and explicit knowledge. Explicit knowledge, as the name suggests, refers to knowledge that could be easily documented. This type of knowledge is gained by reading, observation and discussion. For instance, documented guides about a program or the operational features of a product are examples of explicit knowledge. Tacit knowledge, on the other hand, is more implicit and it is not easy to document it and consequently much harder to share. Tacit knowledge is developed over a period of time when an individual gains insights and details about the various functions in the organization. (MMU, 2006) Currently, PETRONAS is focusing on all efforts towards transferring this tacit knowledge of its staff and making it accessible for future reference and for new workers. Achieving this tacit knowledge sharing pertaining to the various complex processes within the organizations is crucial for the company to reduce costs and become competitive. As Stephen Birell, marketing director of Vardus, a KM company focusing on the Oil and gas sector states, â€Å"The way the industry can drive down cost is by attacking the areas of huge cost which are facilities and drilling. And if everyone follows best practice and shares their learning, you won’t have people making the same mistakes twice. And that ultimately saves money.† (Chowdury, 2006) Three issues are the main motivating factors for the implementation of KM practices across the organization. These are 1) aging workforce- With more than three and half decades since its institution many of the technical staff members at PETRONAS are nearing their retirement age and this mass retirement would drastically impact upon the performance unless swift knowledge management policies are in place to capture the tacit knowledge of these experienced older workforce. 2) The global oil industry is very competitive placing a high premium for the experienced and knowledgeable workforce. High attrition rate at PETRONAS is one big problem as competitors are luring skilled staff. In this context the issue of Trust becomes foremost. The following 5 C’s are recognized as trust factors among knowledge intensive workers. These are a) Competence, b) Commitment, c) Conflict, d) Communication and e) Caring. Of these commitment is foremost and it is the responsibility of the team leade r or the manager to ensure that commitment to the organization and its values are developed naturally as a response to the motivation and example shown by the leader. (Ralston, 2007) Finally, increasing international operations also implies international competition and in this scenario an effective KM plan is indispensible for the organization to smoothly manage and coordinate the international operations. KM makes it possible to simply follow the ‘PETRONAS way’ of transferring knowledge across the different organizations. (KMtalk, 2009) Initially, the main focus was on technology and in removing the hindrances in sharing knowledge stored in varied database formats. However, more than the technical problems it is the problem associated with human acceptance that is currently a pressing issue. In other words, promoting effective change management is the key to implementing KM practices. At PETRONAS new initiatives were implemented to promote better change management. Communities of Practice A new, ‘Communities of practice’ (CoP) initiative was implemented with the idea of starting an effective KM program across the entire organization to better facilitate transfer of information between the various divisions in a swift and effective manner. Currently, there are over 50 CoP’s with each Cop having 30 members. A leader or a champion is chosen among each CoP team based on their performance criteria. The CoP’s were provided with a basic structural framework with which they can implement KM solutions and promote group-wide collaborative values. Regular monitoring of the CoP operations and impact of the same are undertaken. These leaders are also encouraged to share success stories on online CoP newsletter. To encourage enthusiastic participation from the staff, the Knowledge management team is also currently promoting a rewards system wherein the reports from the various Cop’s would be reviewed and the best performing team recognized and awarded (Murni Shariff, 2008) This CoP approach at PETRONAS has shown significant positive results so far with effective information exchange between various operating units already visible across the organization. This would also significantly improve the training for younger generation staff as they fast replace the retiring older generation. A simple online tool that was designed to evaluate the penetration of the CoP based KM practices has confirmed these positive improvements. ( Murni Shariff, 2008) Conclusion Knowledge management practices are critical to the continued competitive growth of any organization. In simple terms it facilitates effective reuse of organizational resources which is tantamount to considerable cost savings. Particularly, in a knowledge intensive and high-tech organization such as PETRONAS, KM practices help to promote better collaboration between multidisciplinary teams. This could help avoid millions of dollars in costs by helping workers avoid unnecessary delays and repetitive mistakes. The current KM practices involving Communities of practice concepts are showing good acceptance among the staff which is important for effective change management. As more and more staff members are encouraged to participate in KM activities, more intensive KM practices and collaborative platforms could be established. This would help in realizing organization wide process integration and overall business alignment. However, regular knowledge auditing is the key to understand the flow of knowledge within the organization and to ascertain areas where improvements could be effected by increasing knowledge sharing. Continued management support is the key as even a small amount of time and resources spent on good KM practices would definitely translate to considerable productivity gains in the longer run. References Dariusz Jemielniak & Jerzy Kociatkievicz, (2009), Handbook of research on Knowledge intensive organizations, Pub by Information Science Reference. Faith Ralston, (2007), How to manage four types of Knowledge Workers- Play Your Best Hand, Adams Media. U.S.A KMtalk, (2009) Knowledge Management in PETRONAS : Interview with Murni Shariff, viewed Jan 23rd 2012, Murni Shariff, (2008), PETRONAS : Engaging Knowledge Worker Communities to Stimulate Innovation and Build Corporate Capability, Viewed Jan 23rd 2012, Naguib Chowdhury, (2006), Knowledge Management Implementation in PETRONAS: A Case Study, Viewed Jan 23rd 2012, Manchester Metropolitan University, (2006) Introduction to Knowledge Management, viewed Jan 24th 2012,