John F Kennedy Civil Rights Address Research Paper

John F Kennedy Civil Rights Address - Research Paper Example worldwide struggle towards equal rights and goes on to argue that all Americans irrespective of their color should be offered equal treatment in places of public accommodation. He purports that every American has a moral obligation to be treated equally. It can also be observed that rhetorical devices such as the choice of diction, imageries, statistical data, and tone contribute to the persuasiveness of the speech. For instance, the use of phrases such as â€Å"ought to be possible† and â€Å"ought to have the right† clearly emphasize this sense of moral responsibility towards equal treatment and freedom. This has been aptly suggested by Newman when the author states: â€Å"the repetitive use of "it ought to be possible" is an effective way to point out the different levels of freedom that restricted the average Negro citizen† (Newman). Kennedy also seeks the help of statistical data (such as ‘one-half’, ‘one-third’, ‘twice as muc h’, and ‘half as much’) to convince his audience the white-black disparity that governs the society. Similarly, in his speech, Kennedy offers a number of instances where unequal treatment and discrimination is shown toward the Negros. These instances are capable of creating so many vivid images or mental pictures in the minds of the audience. President Kennedy then directs his audience towards the depth of the issue and leads the audience to think about the possible solutions. He makes it clear that segregation and discrimination is prevalent in almost all states of America and calls for the need to frame new legislations to tackle the issue. However, he warns his white audience that the nation is ‘confronted primarily with a moral issue’ and exhorts everyone to ask their conscience whether they are able to grant ‘equal... The intention of this study is "Civil Rights Address" by John F Kennedy. as a landmark in the nation’s pursuit towards abandoning racial discrimination and segregation. All throughout the speech, Kennedy persuades his listeners/audience to ensure civil rights, racial equality and equal treatment in the nation. The address is quite persuasive in nature and President Kennedy has successfully employed various rhetorical strategies all throughout the speech. No doubt, the speech appeals to the ethos, logos and pathos of the audience; stylistic features such as the use of imagery, appropriate language, and tone enhance the credibility and persuasive nature of the discourse. The speech can also be understood as President Kennedy’s attempt to defend and justify his controversial decision to admit two qualified Negroes into the University of Alabama in Birmingham. One also needs to keep in mind there were ongoing demonstrations, parades and rallies for equal civil rights within the nation. The speech clearly points out two key issues that haunt the American society-racism and prejudice. Thus, the speech offers the audience a thorough understanding of the speaker’s concern over the current issue of segregation in the nation. This paper tries to identify the specific rhetorical aspects of Kennedy’s speech and in doing so the paper seeks to draw evidences from the address as well. Kennedy's â€Å"Civil Rights Address† blends a variety of rhetorical elements and it is this address which paved the way for equal civil rights in America.

Feministic justice and revenge upon patriarchal misogynists Essay

Feministic justice and revenge upon patriarchal misogynists - Essay Example This essay demonstrates that in GDT and BQ acts of feministic revenge are conducted as a means of claiming justice and reclamation of power from patriarchal characters who have abused their position of power. Conversely, in EH justice is only found through the legal system. Also, in GDT and BQ the heroines escape/are free at the end of the films, this implies, either rightly or wrongly that their actions were justified in the eyes of their respective societies and cultures. In EH, however, two of the main characters are killed by males, one by a boy and justice was only served for Yeter’s death in Germany. The films all demonstrate recognition of patriarchal ills conducted against women in each of the societies, and the women’s rights to seek justice. They do this in different manners, however, according to the cultural norms of the films’ characters. In GDT the woman is equal in all ways and can seek a violent revenge for herself. In BQ she can be strong and vio lent but still requires the support of men; she is not entirely equal. In EH women only have equality in the eyes of the law.  This essay demonstrates that in GDT and BQ acts of feministic revenge are conducted as a means of claiming justice and reclamation of power from patriarchal characters who have abused their position of power. Conversely, in EH justice is only found through the legal system. Also, in GDT and BQ the heroines escape/are free at the end of the films, this implies, either rightly or wrongly that their actions were justified in the eyes of their respective societies and cultures. In EH, however, two of the main characters are killed by males, one by a boy and justice was only served for Yeter’s death in Germany. The films all demonstrate recognition of patriarchal ills conducted against women in each of the societies, and the women’s rights to seek justice. They do this in different manners, however, according to the cultural norms of the filmsâ₠¬â„¢ characters. In GDT the woman is equal in all ways and can seek a violent revenge for herself. In BQ she can be strong and violent but still requires the support of men; she is not entirely equal. In EH women only have equality in the eyes of the law.   The feministic themes of revenge in GDT and BQ do not, however, serve to progress any culture.   There is no message that violence is not an acceptable cultural practice in any of the respective countries and the means of justice portrayed in these two films is not a common one in the real world. The actions of the real-life â€Å"Bandit Queen† are an exception rather than the norm. Justice through legal action in EH is a more accurate portrayal. In spite of this, it is apparent that the cold murder and lack of justice for Lotte and the abilities of men to threaten and control Yeter show that Turkish cultural attitudes to gender equality remain far behind those of European societies. In a world of increasing gender equ ality, however, the portrayal of gender violence against men as opposed to women is merely a dramatized portrayal of gender equality.

Plato and Aristotle on the Just Man and the Good Citizen Essay - 1

Plato and Aristotle on the Just Man and the Good Citizen - Essay Example In fact, these very virtues make a city or an individual just - â€Å"Then a just man won’t differ at all from a just city in respect to the form b of justice;† (Plato, 110) This discussion starts from the state level and eventually moves down to the level of an individual but Plato makes it absolutely clear that the presence of the above mentioned virtues in an individual citizen leads to a state, which has these same virtues. In The Republic’s Book XIII, there exist many examples showing how an unjust society shapes the souls of its citizen. The vice versa then should also be true. Therefore, it can be derived from this discussion that there exists a kind of â€Å"virtuous circle† between the state and a citizen. They are both cause and effect of each other. To sum this up, it can be said that a state shapes the souls of its inhabitants; meanwhile the nation itself is a product of all the individual souls comprising it. If this structure is disrupted, harmony will suffer, inner conflict will increase and this might lead to the whole set-up coming down. Plato believes that the most important goal of education is knowledge of Good. In the fictional city of Kallipolis, there are three different classes: the producers, guardians and the rulers. All these three classes have some specific qualities that they need to display in order to make Kallipolis the â€Å"just city†. The guardian class needs to be the educated group who will be able to absorb all the laws in the best possible manner - â€Å"†¦Hence the guardians must above all protect their system of elementary education, for this provides the training in civic virtue without which no system of laws, no constitution, can hope to achieve†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Plato, 94) The rulers of the city need to possess wisdom, using which they ensure that the city will have good judgment and will be really wise. Since an ideal city needs to be governed by

Loneliness and outsiders Essay Example for Free

Loneliness and outsiders Essay An outsider like crippled Crooks has no one to protect him, all he has is his American Civil Law book which defends his rights as a individual living in the U. S. A and seems to give him a certain comfort knowing that not anyone can argue against his tattered old book. Just as all of his feelings are exposed, Curleys wife threatens him and once again, he withdraws himself back to the liniment which seems to be the only thing in the world that makes Crooks feels better, even if he is ostracised from the rest. Curleys wife is one of the most significant characters to the novel because she shows loneliness on different levels. Because of being married to Curley she has a high status in the ranch, but this is exactly why she has no one but herself. Workers are afraid of getting too close to her in case innocent talking turns into more which could cost them their jobs or even lives. Nevertheless she is led to seek solace with the other men even if they are at the bottom of the social hierarchy on the ranch. And due to all the isolation, the only way to get noticed by the other men is to be a charmer, but this is what makes her so misunderstood. She expresses her true feelings about what could have been to Lennie while he sits on the hay and absorbs absolutely nothing but reflects on the poor little pup that he unintentionally killed. Curleys wife reminisces about how she could have been a Hollywood star and had all the superficial items that so many celebrities buy. Throughout her time on the ranch she has always thought her mother was the reason why Hollywood never became a reality for her, she said, I never got that letter, I always thought my old lady stole it. So I married Curley. This was her dream while on the ranch and like so many others, it shows how much of an outsider and a gullible person she was. In her life there had always been dominant figures like her mother and then Curley. So she has no real idea about how to be autonomous and become more of an independent woman. It could be said that she doesnt know how to interact correctly with people, persistently asking sympathetic rhetorical questions and also being very manipulative and discerning. These virtues are what make Curleys wife such a great character, she has no official name but is possibly one of the most complex characters to depict. Lennie is a simple person, mentally and literally. No one actually understands what he is saying most of the time because the ranch workers have never seen anyone so perplexed and bewildered as he. Without George he would be lost in life, Lennie relies on him to eat and to get him out of trouble whenever its needed most. Even though he blows arguments out of proportion by saying things like, I wouldnt eat no ketchup if it was right here beside me although he really does want the ketchup and is just playing on his own innocence. In one perspective Lennie is quite clever because if there is an opportunity where he can get George to take pity on him, then he will take it, but the majority of the time he is just retarded through no fault of his own. In the book sometimes Lennie is compared to an animal, like when he didnt want to give the mouse to George but then handed it over and started to sulk, Slowly, like a terrier who doesnt want to bring a ball back to its master, Lennie approached. And another time was when he was walking along the dusty road with George, He walked heavily, dragging his feet a little, the way a bear drags his paws. Steinbeck chooses to describe him as an animal to symbolise the title, Of Mice and Men, maybe Lennie is the mouse and George is the man or the other way round. Thats how Lennie is an outsider, because hes an amoral animal who doesnt know his own strength, which is sometimes practical, but when he handles creatures and humans too ruthlessly, he does not know when to stop and that is when the exertion begins for George and Lennie. Lennie and George stick together through thick and thin, even when times get complicated, George seems to find a way out for the pair of them. Circular narrative is when something happens in a story and after a while it occurs again. Throughout the novel Lennie repeats phrases and quotes to George that they have already talked about previously, like the whole ketchup scenario, tending the rabbits, owning and living off the fat of the land etc. This shows that Lennie knows George so well that he assumes all there is to talk about is rabbits and land. That is what makes him a lonesome man because all the conversation is about the same thing and whatever he wants to talk about. All the characters in Of Mice and Men go through a form of loneliness and a feeling of not belonging. At times they can be self-centred which is mainly when two characters are in discussion which each other but not paying attention to the other. Maybe this is one of the reasons that loneliness strikes them, as they do not listen and are all wrapped up in their own impenetrable worlds. But this is what makes the book Of Mice and Men so fascinating to read, all the people have their own problems and dreams because they all share the strong emotions of loneliness and individuality, and even though they may think that they are all diverse, the audience can grasp that each person is more and more like the other.

Secret River Context Essay Essay Example for Free

Secret River Context Essay Essay â€Å"There is some good in the worst of us, and some bad in the best of us. When we discover this, we become less prone to hating our enemies† once deliberated Martin Luther King jr, a key figure in the American Civil rights movement, and a man that constantly strived for equality in racial-fuelled disputes, a key aspect of that being understanding when to and when not to engage in such dissension. His teaching can be instilled into the majority of conflicts faced in day-to-day life, and how crucial the choice can be when deciding whether or not to interfere. Many people adopt the ‘avoid conflict at all costs’ stance, removing themselves from any discord no matter how large the consequences may be. Admirable as it may be to some, to completely avoid confronting conflict without first evaluating the seriousness of it is simply cowardice, and a complete disregard for the ingrained ethical code branded into humans. Some disputes are so significant, perhaps proving to be seminal for the development of history that neglecting involvement in them could be detrimental for, depending on the scale, mankind or as narrow as personal failure. Like many countries penetrated by colonial influences, Australia’s history has been marred by its handling the indigenous, the rightful owners of the land, and the failure to engage in the dispute by major governmental figures left a stain on the development of a nation that preaches equality and liberty. Sometimes, engaging in conflict doesn’t even mean expressing despotic actions on others as it is so often associated with, but instead could be as simple as confronting a home truth that was growing in significance as time went by, as is seen in the story of Vincent Lingiarri, member of the Aborigine tribe the Gurundji. As portrayed in Paul Kelly’s ballad â€Å"From Little things, Big things Grow†, Lingiarri and fellow members of his tribe worked on Wave Hill cattle station for an â€Å"English lord Vestey†. Yet the false claiming of sacred Aboriginal land propelled Vincent to lead a workers strike at â€Å"Wattie Creek† in August 1966, where the song depicts Lingiarri defiantly declaring to the English â€Å"We’re sitting right here/ Til we get our land†. Despite the valid plea to remove the terra ullis or ‘land of no-one’ brand from the country and return portions of it back to the original inhabitants, the Australian government refused to involve themselves, and looked the other way, hoping the issue would sort itself out. â€Å"Eight long years of waiting† transpired of defiant protest from the Gurundji, and despite Prime Minister Gough Whitlam’s attempt at reconciliation, in which the iconic image of the white man passing the vibrant red earth into the leathery, black palm of Lingiarri was taken, it wasn’t until the Mabo decision of 1992 that the land was returned to the rightful owners. This gap of 26 years of pure ignorance and callousness has permanently stained the history of the proud country, due to the inability of the supposed leaders of the country to reconcile, and engage in conflict that they preferred to leave alone. Yet dispute between the Aborigines and the settlers have always been present, as seen in Kate Grenville’s didactic novel â€Å"The Secret River†, as she loosely explores the brutal perforation of English Colonists in the later 18th century. In her historical fiction, Grenville explores protagonist William Thornhill escape from a brutal, industrialized London to seek a new life in the apparently greener pastures of Australia’s east coast. Yet upon arrival, Thornhill discovers tension to be nigh in the desolate land, and a fear of the unknown permeates the frightened arrivees, as he admits that despite owning a hundred acre property, it â€Å"no longer felt quite his own†. His inner drive to provide unconditional safety for his wife and children ultimately pushes his into a state of immorality, as he complies with the group mentality and participates in the massacre of the Aborigines, failing to heed Blackwood’s thought that to coexist with the natives, one must â€Å"give a little, take a little†. While William does engage in conflict, it is the greater of two evils. Had he strayed from the norm, resisted the urge to keep all that he wanted and sided with Blackwood to protect the Aborigines, it would be the desired outcome for his inner being. Yet he conforms, aids in the mobs mass murders and the fate of his character is set to be defeated, his avoidance of the larger conflict at hand leaving him with the misunderstanding â€Å"why it did not feel like triumph†, and the loss of his youngest son Dick who â€Å"would not† look him in the eye anymore. As Thornhill discovers, the easy option to take, the one that only benefits a minority will prove to be the one that renders people worthless, yet it is the harder option, the one that will pave the way for others that will prove the strength of the mettle in one’s being. In the face of dissension, how one performs offers insight into their moral code, and should they resist the ill-fated temptations of easiness and self-satisfaction, they will end out on top. In conflict, the old adage â€Å"the pen is mightier than the sword† often proves to be true. Gao Xingjian, a Nobel Prize winner for Literature operated in a tense Chinese climate polluted by Communism, which he described as â€Å"question of survival†¦ The atmosphere was so poisoned. People even in your own family could turn you in†. His statement proved to be truthful, as when writing allegorical accounts of the toxic environment he lived in, he was forced to burn a suitcase of manuscripts during the ironically titled Cultural Revolution out of fear of prosecution, as art was seen to be a threat to the Communist concept. The sane thing to do, the simple thing to do was to stop his controversial pieces, yet he opposed this, and continues to wage his dispute with his own country and fled to France to continue writing stories of brave heroes fighting against a prejudicial and ignorant political system that still subjugates 2 billion people. Thus his courageous dedication to the occupation he loves, feeling obligated to provide the world with information on the oppressive times as he believed â€Å"under the mask of fiction the truth can be told†, a belief that Grenville acutely followed. The admiration of the one that stands up against the burning tension of conflict is magnified, especially in the case of Bant Singh, a man whose courage, trepidation and loyalty should be shared with everyone to display true morality. Singh, an Indian farmer from the Dalit tribe, commonly looked upon as less than dirt to the hierarchal social system of India, fought against forces seemingly unstoppable for familial love, demonstrating how conflict must be addressed in some circumstances. When his 14 year old daughter was raped by two wealthy landlords, Bant did not do as many Dalit’s before him would have done, accepted the monstrosity and moved on. Yet he did stand up, and went for legal action against the two men. They quickly offered him a bribe that would secure the financial future of the family, yet he refused, advocating e would â€Å"not put a price on [his] daughter’s honor†. Days later, Bant was set upon by men with axes and steel rods, who attempted to beat him to death. Yet he made it to hospital, where gangrene took both of his legs and left arm. Sing saw the two men responsible go to jail for life; his war waged proving successful as justice was restored and the social separation in the country is beginning to wane. Singh’s battle is testament to the fact that not every fight can be ignored; some are so imminent that they must be addressed or the results will linger and effect future circumstances. Conflict, the consuming beast will continue to claim the souls of those who cannot persevere its burning glare. Yet those who oppose it, confront it with the correct intentions will be exposed as true heroes of human society, as Bant Singh will forever be. As legendary war general Napoleon Bonaparte once promoted â€Å"The people to fear are not those who disagree with you, but those who disagree with you and are too cowardly to let you know†, summising that those who avoid dissension that must be addressed will never be respected.

Exploring The Resources And Capabilities Of Dell

Exploring The Resources And Capabilities Of Dell This essay will be based on Dell Inc and how the topic resources and capabilities are used as a strategy throughout the company. The topic will be explored to identify how it applies to Dells strategy and how they use it within the company. The essay will identify the different types of strategys which are used to help them sustain competitive advantage. During the essay theoretical concepts will be used and applied to Dell in order to analyse the organisation. The theoretical concepts which will be used will be concepts from the module, these concepts will help draw conclusions from the essay and help identify why Dell continually sustain a competitive advantage. Dell was founded in 1984 by Michael Dell in his university dorm in Texas using his last $1000. With this money he created a company called PCs Limited. Within a year Michael Dell had turned his $1000 into $6 million in sales. He managed to do this by borrowing $300,000 from his family and upgrading computers for local firm from their existing software to IBM. By 1986 the company was producing sales of $60 million; this was due to dell starting their own assembly lines. 4 years later Dells sales had increased vastly to $500 million, because they had now created a wide line of products. By 1996 Dell launched their products online, this gave them $1 million in sales a day boosting their annual sales to an astonishing $5.3 billion, increasing to $7.8 billion the following year. The sales had risen 50% and tripled to making sales of $3 million a day in sales. By 2005 Dells sales had risen to $49.2 billion, showing how the company has become one of the most successful companies within rece nt times by being a fortune company while only being around for 14 years. Also during 2005 Dell was ranked 28th biggest company in America by revenue. In 2006 Dell was looked at as one of the most admired companies in America. Their sales for 2009 were $61.1 billion, simply showing why they were nominated a top 200 fortune. They are the highest earning company within the computer industry. Dell employs over 75,000 employees across the world, due to having to serve customers in over 170 countries. Dell took over as leaders in their market from their biggest and most successful competitors Hewlett Packard, whilst also staying ahead of rivals such as IBM and Apple computers who are the only other alternative substitute for a PC. Dell now offer a range of products and services, including computing software, computing systems, computing peripherals, consulting and IT services. Dell have gone a long way from upgrading computers for local businesses to offering products such as televisions , printers, peripherals, netbooks, notebooks, servers, scanners and their main product computers. In 2007 Michael Dell returned to the company as a CEO to help improve its financial performance by bringing new plans in for the company. Key Success Factors In the ever maturing PC industry it is very important for any company wishing to be competitive to meet the industries key success factors (KSF). In order to succeed, certain KSFs must be incorporated into their business model. Specific KSF include: Competitive prices Excellent relationships with suppliers Product customisation Excellent customer services Superior cost structure Dell has continued to perform well, through incorporating many of these factors into their business model. Dells customer centric approach with a closely managed supply chain and cash flow process has seen them succeed in the mature PC industry. Key Competencies Customer focus- Dell has a thorough understanding of their consumers needs and wants and it serves them very effectively. The custom build business model that Dell adopts accommodates the ever changing needs and wants of consumers. This model is very effective as it allows Dell to offer the latest technologies at competitive prices in a timely manner. This is exactly what customers demand in a hyper competitive market. Manufacturing Processes- Dell benefited greatly from the first mover advantage, through adopting the direct selling business model which was unique to the industry, aided by the boom of the internet. Supply Chain Management- The direct selling business model employed by Dell is run by an i2 technology supply chain management (SCM) system. Every 20 sec the software aggregates orders, analyzes material requirements, compares Dells on-hand inventory with its suppliers inventory and then creates a supplier bill of material to meet its order needs. SCM is particularly important as improving it by 0.1% has greater impact than improving manufacturing process by 10%. This system allowed Dell to go beyond a simple value chain model, into a more complex value web model. Customer Selection, Acquisition and Retention- Dell also employ a state of the art IT and customer relationship management (CRM) system. Through efficiently targeting customers they are able to keep costs to a minimum which suit consumers budgets. Consumers are very price sensitive in the PC industry as there are many substitutes. Customer Service- Dell offers a complete range of services, including, technical support through internet and global call centres. For additional fees Dell offers extended service and support plans. Dells customer service was considered to be the best in the industry. However after recently outsourcing this, their reputation is beginning to fall, after repeated poor treatment of cases. Porters value chain By identifying Dells value chain and network it will allow us to identify how Dell value their customers and how it is created. FIRM INFRASTRUCTURE Dell has a very strong and organised stock management. Dell sells straight thought their website cutting out intermediaries. They sell thought a direct model. Dell receives payments normally immediately as customers generally use credit cards online. Once the orders have been placed and paid the customers products are order from the suppliers, this is so dell only have stock in which is being used to build products from orders they have received reducing excess stock. OPERATIONS Dell deal with a few operations, they deal with the most important one in their opinion, being the final configuration of customer products. Dell outsources operations such as the assemblies of motherboards and most of the production chain for all of their notebook computers. INBOUND LOGISTICS As dell allows customers to build their own products and order the products when needed using just in time, it allows deal not to buy an overload of stock they just pay for what they need from the order made. Dells direct model in which they sell their products to their consumers they depend on time management, so that all the components they need arrive at the time they are need to produce the product for their customers. MARKETING SALES Dell using the direct selling model it has taken out all intermediaries. Normally the intermediaries would want to take about 20 to 30%. Dell managed to cut out intermediaries as they align their value chain and supply chain very closely, and also their assembly factories and order taking systems. Dell has incorporated their direct selling model with their supply chain. Dell put together 80,000 PCs daily, but they do not own their own warehouse as they only order components they need to assemble products within a few days as they only hold stock for a maximum of two days. TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT Dell spend a tiny amount on technology research compared to their biggest rivals HP. Dell spend around $400 million which is a small margin of HPs $4 billion. Yet Dell has near perfect assembly chain along with very efficient assembly operations. Dell have a unique way to identify if an employee is a fault for a product as a single product is made by a single employee making them accountable if it faulty. Value Web Model Dell moved beyond the simple value chain into a more effective value web organism. This positively impacted Dells just-in-time manufacturing and the inventory management systems. Dell relies on big players to provide their high-tech components. E.g. Microprocessors-Intel, Software- Microsoft. Dell rely on smaller multiple players to provide low-tech components. These low-tech, low- differentiation component manufacturers compete fiercely on price and availability. Dell Has one of the latest SCM systems, which is unmatched by competitors. This system enables Dells factories to have only 7 hours worth of inventory, whereas most of the industry holds a 10 day inventory. It also helps that 85% of all their supplies are provided by 15 suppliers. This value web organism has been achieved through careful knowledge management and 15 years of learning. It is a very complex system, and due to this it is inimitable. Dells Direct Business Model Unlike their competitors, Dell has adopted a direct selling approach to customers compared to all of their competitors. Dell have cut out all intermediaries meaning customers order straight thought their website, this allows Dell to sell directly to them. Due to customer buying straight from Dell it has given them a great understanding of customer needs. Dells main focus is on their customers which their strategy is based around. The Direct business model also allows customers to customize their products letting them have what they desire rather than a standard product. As customer order a want they want product, it allowed Dell to minimize their stock, as they will order only what they need adopting JIT strategy. This also allows Dell to deliver the newest technology to their customers sustain an edge on their competitors. Dells Direct Model Customers SUPPLIERS Competitors Model Dells competitors model has 2 extra sections, outsourcing and channels. This produces extra cost and it doesnt allow them to have complete customer focus as they dont deal directly with their customers. Their customer buy from channels which are shops taking away customer relation with the company. They also dont get supplies directly from their suppliers as they outsource 1st to other companies. Dells model is a far better strategy and it allows them to have a great focus on their customers. They use their resources and capabilities such as their great product lines to achieve the efficiencies they want to produce. Activity Mapping Through conducting detailed research into Dell, a number of conclusions can be drawn. At the core of Dells business strategy and its direct selling model is customer focus. Dells core competencies were developed around their customer centric approach, and its resources and capabilities were placed in a way to best serve their customers. This customer centric approach has enabled them to develop more competencies, including, manufacturing processes, supply chain management, customer selection and service. Within the hyper competitive PC industry it is imperative that companies provide the latest technology in a timely manner. Dell achieved this through adopting the kaizan approach to its supply chain. To compliment the increased efficiencies of the supply chain Dell also improved their manufacturing processes. A key advantage for Dell is that they have one of the best SCM systems in the world. This is complimented by the fact that 95% of their suppliers are located near to their assem bly plants making coordination easier. Holding only a 7 hour inventory, instead of the industries norm of around 10 days is another advantage. Holding such a short inventory means they do not have socks of slow selling products leading to poor cash flow. Dell aim to deliver the custom product within 36 hours of an order being placed, which competitors just cant match. Dell constantly operates with a negative cash flow conversion cycle as they only pay their suppliers once the customer has paid them. Building these strong relationships with suppliers has taken years and combined with Dells complex supply chain is inimitable and leads to a sustainable competitive advantage. Through the careful selection, training and retention of its workforce that could develop and evolve as Dell grows, they were able to manage knowledge, encourage honesty, loyalty and learning over time. Through employing the best Dell become more effective in recognising, acquiring and retaining customers through providing them with their needs and wants at competitive prices and in a timely manner. Through aligning their core competencies with the industry KSFs, Dell were able to perform favourable in an ever maturing market. Dells differentiation comes from process innovation. Through capturing the value of its suppliers and partners Dell has capitalised on their technology innovation. This enabled Dell to minimise their research and development spend and improve their cost structure. This strategy has yet to match by any of their major competitors in the industry, leading to a sustainable competitive advantage. Ultimately in order to sustain competitive advantage Dell need to continue to outdo their competitors. By adopting the direct business model and adopting their customer centric approach they have achieved competitive advantage. In order to ensure the sustainability of this they need to evolve as consumer demands change. Through their direct business model and their superior relationships with suppliers they have developed core competencies which align with the industry KSFs and are also difficult for the competition to imitate. Factors which will provide sustained competitive advantage include: Online custom build of each computer. Minimisation of working capital in the production process High manufacture and distribution quality- latest technology, timely manner, competitively priced, reliable products The careful management of their resources and capabilities make all this possible.

Similarities And Differences Of Characters In The Sound And The Fury :: Sound Fury Characters

The Sound and the Fury is a compelling story that shows different aspects of a family that is slowly deteriorating. William Faulkner made it clear that one of the most important aspects of this novel is the theme of loss. Faulkner gave the views of four different individuals who all had one main obsession, their sister Caddy, who in a way symbolizes the loss that each person endures and the deterioration of the south. Caddy, who did not have a part in the novel to tell her side of the story, was viewed very differently by each of her brothers. This novel tells a story of the Compson family on their way of distinction. The story begin with Benjamin who is mentally challenge tells the first section of the story; this is one of the most difficult chapters of the book that is very difficult to comprehend for the simple fact that Benjamin has no motion of time. Therefore he constantly goes back in forth with the present and past. In order to fully understand the chapter, you must slowly comprehend when he is speaking of the past and when he is speaking in the present. All his memories have to do with Caddy. She was the one who gave him order. His life was based around Caddy because she was the mother figure in his life. She was the one that gave Benjamin the love he needed. There was a point in the novel were Luster was taking Benjamin and he started to cry hysterically because Luster took him on an unfamiliar route; Jason found out he hit Luster and told him to never do that again or he’ll kill him because Benjamin lost the order he lived with. Without the familiarity of his surroundings th ere would not be any meaning to his life. The only thing he has left in his life is the memories he had with his sister. When Caddy ran away Benjamin lost the order in his life and the loved he needed. The second chapter was told by Quentin, which was much easier to comprehend than the first chapter and he tells his perspective of events that happened in his past that he hasn’t quite gotten over. Quentin had a close bond with his sister Caddy. Quentin cares about the old southern code of honor.