Hello Kitty Singapore Essay

A person has many needs at any given time. Abraham Maslow sought to explain why people are driven by particular needs at particular times. According to him, human needs are arranged in a hierarchy (refer to Figure 1), from the most pressing to the least pressing. In order of importance, they are physiological needs, safety needs, social needs, esteem needs and self-actualization needs. The most basic level of needs must be satisfied first before desiring higher level needs. Therefore, having a Mctoy fulfils the forth level needs, called as ‘Esteem Needs’. Self-esteem is the desire for status, self-respect and prestige. Owning the series of Hello Kitty dolls has gained a sense of fulfilment to the individual because it is not that easy to get the limited edition toys at any time. Besides that, the ‘Kiasu’ attitude which is very popular among Singaporeans to have something which everyone else is having, regardless of whether it is of any use. The fear of losing out drives the feeling to fulfil their esteem needs, where they are happy knowing they too have one like others. In order to fulfil the esteem need, people are often engaged in either profession or hobby to gain recognition. For those who loves collecting dolls, use this hobby as a platform to gain recognition from others so that they will be praised. Thus, they feel that by owning the series of hello kitty dolls can make them gained recognition. How has McDonald’s created value to its consumers by offering Hello Kittty dolls in their Extra Value Meals? Marketing experts, Don Peppers and Martha Rogers say that ‘The only value a company will ever create is the value that comes from customers.’ Customer value is the relationship between the consumers perception of benefits they believe they will derive from a purchased compared to the price that will be paid. The total benefit package includes functional attributes of the product and related service attributes. Creating value not only transforms sales effectiveness, it also provides insulation from price pressure. There are many sales strategies, tactics and techniques for creating value for customers. McDonald’s has identified the benefits that consumers would gain from the promotion by creating a series of value to its customer through the promotion. The total value created to its consumers by McDonald’s comprises of four sources namely product, services, personnel and image. Firstly, the product (Hello kitty Dolls) were given as a premium to its loyal consumers at its cost price when consumer purchases the Extra Value Meal, rather than charging any extra amount for it. McDonalds has created value to its consumers by offering this product premium. In terms of service, McDonald’s has created value to its consumers an alternative way of getting the exclusive dolls, where these dolls can only be purchased through McDonald’s outlets during the limited period of time. This series of limited-edition toys will not be available as and when consumers want them. Thirdly, the satisfaction gained by consumers by owning these dolls. As the dolls were limited edition and were sold at cheaper price, McDonald’s has created the satisfaction feeling among its consumers when they own them. And finally image value is created to McDonald’s consumers where the consumers have the option to choose designs of their preferences during the one-month promotion. The image of ‘Kitty’ representing different cultures wedding costumes creates value to those owning them. Thus, McDonald’s has added up values from all the four sources mentioned above to successfully create values to its consumers through its ‘Hello Kitty’ Promotion. Recommendations and Conclusion Here are several alternatives that McDonald’s should have considered before carrying out the promotion to avoid such havoc from happening: 1) Study the consumer behaviour of Singaporeans 2) Periods of the promotion 3) Increase the number of toys offered for promotion In conclusion, the havoc caused from the ‘Hello Kitty’ Promotion in Singapore has not tarnished McDonald’s image in any aspect. This was proven when McDonald’s introduced another six sets of designs featured royal costumes around the world a year after, and the sales seem not to be declining. There was no repeat of the previous year’s frenzy as McDonald’s was prepared. Several precautions were taken such as limiting the number of dolls each customer can buy to four, and had more dolls in stock for panic buying. Besides that, to monitor and control the crowds, McDonald’s has hired security personnel and mobile squad officers to visit McDonald’s outlets.

Red Lotus and Thousand ;One Nights

Syree Davis Eng. 203 Nov. 1 2012 Ms. tody The Red Lotus of Chastity and The Thousand and One Nights The females in The Red Lotus of Chastity and The Thousand and One Nights struggled against ideas of chastity that were created by a male dominated society. They had to over come the cultural ideals of what women should be and do. Devasmita and Shahrazad both decided to take matters into their own hands and not fall to male authority or their tricks. The themes of these novels are the feminine empowerment, loyalty and devotion.The women of these novels showed feminine empowerment. Although they had obstacles that could have over come them they still stood against them and showed that females can be strong and independent too. Devasmita was struggling with being away from her husband while trying to be tricked into doing the merchants' sons but she showed feminine empowerment by deciding to trick them and make them be punished. This proved that females could also have power to do things and weren't just to be around to clean, cook and do what their husbands wanted.Shahrazad is the definition of feminine empowerment she stood against male authority the whole novel and didn't step down. Her role in The Thousand and One Nights was to teach the king a lesson, this showed her will to go against authority to teach a male a lesson. These females were devoted to what they wanted to do and wouldn't stop. Shahrazad was devoted to teaching the king a lesson and no male could stop her. She was self educated and strong willed, she pursued to learn about poets and other authors and people of high stature.Devasmita was devoted to her king and would not break for anyone after receiving the red lotus which was symbolic for feminine qualities and things that related to the heart (love, passion and sex) she finally agreed to let him go on his trip. This was love because she knew she would be jealous of the distance between the two and the events that had happened with another man tha t was cheating. She remained steady and devoted to her king though despite the tricks and the men trying to pursue her. This was a stand for the females making it known hey could think for themselves and could make up there own minds and also hold down a household without a male figure. Loyalty also connects with the devotion they shared to do what they had to do because without them being loyal there was no need to have devotion. Loyalty was another characteristic that the females shared and displayed in these novels. They were loyal to their goals and didn't stray away from them. Devasmita and Shahrazad being females in their time ran by in a male society was rough. They were expected to do whatever they were told especially in the household.When they would not do what the males wanted, it was a shock for a female to do this. Being loyal in those times were hard and for them to show they had the power to do that displayed their strong will. Once again the themes of these novels ar e the feminine empowerment, loyalty and devotion. These all are thought to be things that females do well, but when put against an all male society they are faced with obstacles. They overcome the temptation and stay on the right path or stay focused on their goals. Although Shahrazad was a little different story line that Devasmita she also faced obstacles.She was trying to teach the king a lesson and didn't listen to male authority. She thought herself and was self motivated, her goal was set and didnt stray away from it. She was devoted and loyal to her goal to teach the society a lesson. Devasmita was a wife that was in love with her husband so much that she grew jealous of him being so far away. Jealousy rose from the story's of another man cheating in the temple. She finally decided to let him go once receiving the red lotus that symbolized feminine empowerment, and female characteristic.This gave her the ability to let him leave and stay loyal and devoted to him. Although the merchants son's were put up to no good and make her cheat on her husband she would not. She kept up the household and even was intelligent enough to find out their true intentions and even was able to bring their plans to light. These females strong willed and very smart. Although society was based on males points of views they didn't let this discourage them they still decided to teach themselves and prove they were strong enough.The chastity was not just not the virgin or sexual aspect but the overall devotion, having the power to say no and fight (feminine empowerment) and being loyal. All these contributed to the conflict of the novels which was the females overpowering the male society and deciding not to listen. This was a big step for the females especially in a all male society that was built up by males. In the end they overcame what cultural ideals were of females and did this by not listen to the male society and that they were more than just to be in the house working b ut could be educated and in some situations could out wit the males in their society.This gave them the power to do what they wanted not only were they intelligent they were independent. Even with a man in their lives they could still think on their own and even make decisions. Devasmita could have easily been persuaded to do things if she was not so devoted and wanted to be loyal. Shahrazad could have just been a normal female that is ideal to usual cultural ideals but she decided to educate herself on things that interested her and even plotted to teach the king a lesson.

Music : Expressionism

‘Prettier' from five orchestral pieces is an atonal (no significant key signature) Expressionist piece of music written by Austrian composer Schoenberg (who is associated with the expressionist movement of the early twentieth century and was the founder of the second Viennese school of music). It was composed in 1909, written for a big orchestra, made up of mainly flutes oboes clarinets and bassoons.Additionally some other brass instruments and percussion play in the piece such as the trumpet, trombone, xylophone, cymbals and bass drum. Prettier' can be described as a very intense and restless piece of music with many quick changes in speed, mood and instrumentation. The translation of Prettier into English is ‘ a sudden change in fortune†, which perfectly describes the nature of this piece. One factor which makes ‘Prettier' a clear example of expressionist music is the instrumentation.In this piece the instruments are often played at the extreme of their regi sters, heightening the dramatic style which sets the stage for this expressionist piece of music by including extreme contrasts in the dynamics, which an be seen in the score of the piece where Schoenberg marks from ‘up' to ‘if. Another two factors which portray the genre of this piece are the constantly changing textures and unusual structure; there are many motifs which are changed throughout the piece however there is no concrete main melody.It is made out of complicated melodic fragments which are based on 6 notes from 12 different semitones in a scale, known as hexachord, which are almost in rondo form (abaca.. ) where the same melodic idea returns many times. The ‘a' theme, which returns more than twice, are each very different to each other and described as ‘almost unrecognizable'. This creates a sensation of unawareness , a feeling of unpredictability and suspense for the listener, we never expect what we will hear next.The idea of using free rondo fo rm is used to bring the same atmosphere, mood and feel of a motif rather than the exact, precise copy of notes. An example of a hexachord in this piece is the recurring hexachord in bar 8 , ( a, b flat, c , c sharp, e , f) laded as a motif and chord by the horns Each different section of the piece varies in length swell as the continuously varying textures and tempos. Schoenberg frequently changes the speed within Prettier. He uses a lot of different note lengths ranging from deem-semiquavers to semibreves.This use of constantly changing tempos, melodies and dynamics heightens the dramatic nature of the piece making it very exciting for the listener! The timbre, pitch and harmonies of this piece are very particular to the style of expressionism. The dissonant harmonies and clashing sounds throughout this piece create discomfort for the listener and are successfully used to convey the desired emotions of the composer, which he was aiming to express through his music.As well as the su dden and extreme changes in dynamics and rhythms in this piece, the textures vary as well. This piece has a contrapuntal texture with moments of polyphonic and homophobic textures too; ranging from a solo flute to the whole orchestra playing which provide possibilities of creating dramatic moments of climax thin the song, once again conveying deep emotions and conflict, fitting perfectly into the expressionistic genre.The melody in Prettier is fragmented and is played by all the instruments at different times throughout the piece, known as ‘agglomeration's' (tone-color melody). Additionally the melody is very angular and distinct and often uses repeated notes or short motifs, which enhances the uncomfortable feeling for the listener. Schoenberg plays with the timbre of this piece, with quick, sudden changes between families of instruments such as the brass ND woodwinds; which in result varies the sound of the piece making it more unusual and unpredictable.Prettier perfectly fi ts into the category of expressionism through the exiting use of changing dynamics, tempos, harmonies, textures, orchestral devices, melodies and rhythms, making this piece exiting and vibrant to listen to every time. Each time it is played new moments are found that were previously unknown to the listener, bringing something new to its audience each time it is heard, whether it be emotional or categorical, thus evidently fitting into the genre of expressionism.

Catcher in the Rye Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Catcher in the Rye - Essay Example But while they are too busy fooling around with each other, the ship is heading towards a disaster that the world will never forget. The story kind of reminds me of Jane. She and I used to always hang out. We were not in love, but there was something there. Then she had to go and date Stradlater. I am the Jack to Jane’s Rose – the lowly one that deserves her more. The movie was too long and too phony. The director would have done everyone some good if he had cut the pointless stuff from it. The modern storyline was too bizarre for my own taste. All of the flashbacks, and the scenes jumping from the past to the present and back again irritated me a bit, to tell ya the truth. It became confusing after a while. Have an over-the-hill Rose retell her phony story of love and lies while a treasure seeker explores the wreckage of the ship is a nice touch, but only distracted me from the actual plot of the movie. And how Jack’s chalk drawing would last almost a year a century under water is beyond me. I swear to God that is should have been washed into pieces years ago; clearly water was able to get into the safe, but it does not make sense that the only damage was by a few drops of water, ya know? The last few scenes seemed to drag on a little too long. No kidding. It had nothing to do with the amount of detail, but with the amount of goddam stupidity between Rose and Jack. I think it is stupid when they make a scene longer than it has to be when they could just cut out all of the pointless stuff. It would have made me less bored. The special effects were the best part of the goddam movie, to tell ya the truth, and the music was pretty damn good. It was not a great movie - good, but not the best thing around. The romance between Cal, Rose, and Jack was phony; Rose did not seem to know what she was doing and Cal seemed more interested in beating the crap out of Jack than actually saving his pathetic relationship with

Microeconomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Microeconomics - Essay Example t comes about third parties suffer costs or financial consequences following market transactions between other parties involved in the purchase and sale of goods & services. For instance when organization involved in production or manufacture of goods for the market pollutes the environment through release of harmful gasses into the environment, the general public may suffer diseases translating into medical expenses not anticipated. The recent economic crises which resulted from the crash of the banking and mortgages markets translated into escalated prices with financial consequences to the general public. On the other hand a positive externality comes about when market transactions benefit third parties in a way. A good example is when a company invests in research & development which in the end benefits many other companies in the market. In conclusion therefore externalities result into inefficiencies which may eventually lead to market failure i.e. private decisions which are based on the market fail to give efficient and desirable results in the perspective of general welfare. The government therefore intervenes to address the inefficiencies and adverse market effects resulting from the externalities. In cases of negative externalities the government can respond by imposing taxes to the involved parties which equal the amount of harm suffered by others. in response to positive externalities where where social gains exceed private gains, the government can also intervene by subsidizing those generating the social gains with amounts equivalent to what others

Managing people in the work environment 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Managing people in the work environment 2 - Essay Example 2007 for the introduction of a Single Equality Act for Great Britain with main focus of achieving a harmonious set of guidelines that can define laws of equality such as disability discrimination and harmonisation of legal definitions of disability discrimination and indirect discrimination. Other objectives of the law review include equal pay and multiple discrimination cases, individual remedies, public sector duties, procurement, and positive action (Malik, 2007). Equality Act 2010 is included in the fifth generation of the equality legislation in Britain which is a product of the struggles of different groups and ideologies, thus, its establishment is based on the need of the people. The establishment of the Act is a product of generations’ need for a single unified law on equality. The main purpose of Equality Act 2010 then is ‘harmonisation, simplification and modernisation of equality law. Included in the main strengths of the legislation are elimination of discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other prohibited conduct; advancement of equality in opportunities regardless of the relevance of an applicant to the job or not; and the encouragement of good relationship within a group or institution (Hepple, 2010). The Equality Act 2010 covers employment guidelines to ensure the rights of both the employer and the employees. It includes guidelines for recruitment; working hours, flexible working and time off; pay and benefits; career development such as training, promotion and transfer; managing workers; dismissal, redundancy, retirement and after a worker has left; equality policies, training, and monitoring; responsibility in the company; disability provisions, etc. (Williamson, n.p.). The Act explored 3 factors in general namely the rights of all human beings, the equal protection from discrimination, and the obligation for full effect of implementation of the provisions (Hepple, 2010). There are different examples of cases related to

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT - Essay Example Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Introduction 4 During CEO Jim Cantalupo Management 4 Strategic Vision 4 Core Competences 5 Competitive Advantage 5 Resources Used 6 Successful Management Strategy and the Reasons and Elements of Jim Cantalupo’s Strategy 6 After CEO Jim Cantalupo Management 9 The New Strategic Approach McKinsey’s 7-S Framework 9 New Strategic Approaches through the Application of Ansoff Growth Matrix 13 Conclusion 16 References 17 Bibliography 20 Introduction McDonald’s has been operating in the US market for many years and has grown internationally by establishing its brand value in the world. There were various challenges during the development phase of the company and there were problems related to business strategies implementation in expanding the stores of McDonald’s. The study reflects the business strategy that was implemented by CEO Jim Cantalupo during his tenure in McDonald’s. During CEO Jim Cantalupo Management Strate gic Vision Strategic vision of a company is the representation of the core values, beliefs and philosophies (Air University, 2010). Jim Cantalupo’s strategic vision was upon developing new customers and not increasing the numbers of the restaurants. Since the market was focused upon targeting the competitors’ customers, he concentrated upon new customers. Jim Cantalupo’s vision was upon offering healthier food. For existing customers, his vision was to enhance the level of service with hygienic environment and commitment to deliver service within stipulated time. His vision was upon innovation and introduced new products for all categories of customers. Core Competences Core competencies are the unique attitude, skills, knowledge and behaviour that contribute to excellence (University of Nebraska–Lincoln, 2002). McDonald’s core competence is in its operations and infrastructures. The organisation is competent for production and timely delivery of a ffordable foodstuffs to wide range of customers. The company has developed its core competency through low cost foodstuffs, high speed service and consistent quality strategy. These factors influence the customers to be attracted and being loyal towards the company. The core competency of the company is supported through its brand image, relationship between customers and suppliers, strong financial resources, market leadership and product value (Zamarripa & Wylie, 2000). Competitive Advantage According to Investopedia, â€Å"The advantage that a firm has over its competitors assisting in generating margins and sales and retaining customers than its competitors is firm’s competitive advantage† (Investopedia, 2010). McDonald’s competitive advantage is gained in the industry of fast food restaurants. The company’s innovative menu and introduction of wide range of foodstuffs have made the company gain competitive advantage over others. The food is affordable and value for money offerings aid in retaining the customers. Its franchisee based model has been able to strengthen its financial position and played a significant part in their global expansion. It is a ‘penny profit’ business but still with hard work, it has been successful. Through the global presence, economies of scale operations have led McDonald’s to gain competitive advantage over others in national and international markets. Resources Used

Comments on DQ1 and DQ2,KS and CH Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Comments on DQ1 and DQ2,KS and CH - Essay Example If a firm faces liquidity problem they can liquidate the investment portfolio of common stocks and turn it into cash instantly. Corporations invest in stock market to generate money from dividend income and to obtain equity appreciation. During the last 10 years the average return on stocks was 3.5% (Soundmoneymatters, 2011). DQ2 The fair market value argument is something that accountants have pondered for a long time. One would assume that the fair market value of a stock should be the absolute law when accounting for equity investment since the market value is the price that everyone uses when selling or buying a particular stock. The problem is that accountants must keep in mind the conservatism principle and the historical cost principle. In my opinion the best accounting practice is to value a common stock investment at historical cost independent of the fluctuations in market price of a stock. If a company does not intend on selling a stock in the near future the market value has no relevance. Making adjustments based on market value would be a troublesome task for accountants. At the moment that a company decides to sell a stock a company will either achieve a loss or gain based on the difference between historical cost and market value. References Soundmoneymatters.com (2011).

Research Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Research Project - Essay Example Tesco deals in electronics, food, cloths, mobile, and internet service with competitors being â€Å"Morrison, Asda, Sainsburry’s, Waitrose, Iceland, and Aldi’s† (Jennifer, 365). The main reason for the business high sales and profits are that the business aims at always being the best in whatever it sets to do (Humby et al, 2008). Tesco prides itself of three main pillars aimed at augmenting their satisfaction as a means to up sales as customers, communities and the employees. From an abstract position, this would seem to be the case, but is it? This study aims at answering the question by investigating if Tesco’s loyalty program measures up to customer’s expectation (Pearson Education, 2011). The study will make great use of secondary data for the formation of the conclusion. The study will mainly consider the various ways Tesco uses to meet customer needs and make the overall conclusion if these efforts are bearing enough fruit for effective custo mer expectation delivery. This will allow the study to make a concrete conclusion to meet the need for the formation of a conclusion that will be a guide for us to meet the needs of this research on if it is meeting customer expectations (Egan, 2001). ... The introduction of customer loyalty card was aimed at meeting customer expectations and needs better through the following ways. Tesco Loyalty Card Tesco in the aim to augment consumer satisfaction and retention of loyal customers through rewarding them introduced loyalty cards for its consumers. This was a revolutionary technique aimed at gaining a competitive advantage over its main rivals Marks and Spencer, Waitrose and Sainsbury (Plimmer, p. 377). The Club card aimed at rewarding loyal customers for the purchase of items at Tesco shops. One point was awarded for every dollar spent and other currencies earn a one point to the client for each unit of currency spent and the use of Tesco cards for access to all other products of the company (Jennifer, 366). The points can be redeemed for flying time, used for club card deals for use for three times the value and the ability to be converted to Avios. These allowed the company a means to offer appreciation to their clients and the cus tomers feel cared for and appreciated to make the comeback increasing service and retention of customers. Tesco Baby Club and Student card There have been improvements to the loyalty card by Tesco with the aim of augmenting the benefits and tailoring the uses of these cards to the specific needs of the customers. The student card was aimed at rewarding students for making purchases at Tesco through the incorporation of benefits and bonuses on products tailored for students. Increased utility by the teens increased their allegiance to Tesco and allowed the company to meet their demand by giving their preference and requirements feedback. The Tesco Baby Club was aimed at women in their pregnancy terms and through to two years after child birth.

Assistant to the President Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Assistant to the President - Essay Example Finally, part-time employment shapes the students career choices, enabling them to identify their limitations in terms of education and training, and the need for further improvements, which increases their future labor market prospects. The Assistant to the President part-time position is a unique opportunity for ambitious and focused college students who would like to increase their visibility in the labor market. In this paper, I will demonstrate why I believe that this position is timely and significant for my academic progress, career development and professional growth. I find the position of the assistance to the president very interesting in a number of ways. Firstly, this position would enable me to utilize my planning skills in assisting the president to plan and implement the â€Å"corporate giving† program. Secondly, I believe that working 10 to 15 hours a week will improve my GPA’s significantly. Thirdly, given the kind of training and experience I possess, I believe that the pay rate of 12 to 15 dollars per hour is quite attractive and appropriate to me. Fourthly, the flexibility of the position, with opportunities to work from home, will enable me to manage and utilize my time effectively. Fifthly, this position has attractive benefit packages, such as occasional use of corporate vehicle acceptable millage rate for use of personal vehicle. Based on these factors, I believe that this position is quite attractive and worth of my consideration. The assistant to the president position is very important for my career progress and growth. Firstly, this opportunity will serve as my entry position to the corporate team of the corporation. Secondly, the position has a promise of career advancement with increased responsibilities such as keeping track of applicants for funds, interviewing applicants at their place of work

Black People and Dorothy Allison Essay Example for Free

Black People and Dorothy Allison Essay Race, class and gender have been a topic for most books that have been written. A lot of books talk about these topics because it is something most people face. Whether youre at work and cant get a promotion because of your gender, excluded from a place because of your class or hated because of your race. Know matter what you will be faced with one if these topics in your life time. Dorothy Allisons Bastard out of Carolina deals with these issues in a very intriguing way. She uses them to keep the story flowing and keep the reader interested. In the novel BOC, Allison uses race, class and gender in a very stereotypical way. The story of Bone takes place in a time where race was a conservational topic. You can say America was split in two groups, the whites and blacks. If you were black life was not easy. Black people were discriminated against. Even though slavery was over the black nation was not accepted by the white people. Racism means Discrimination or prejudice based on race (2). This word was not really used in this book because the narrative was Bone, a white girl. When Bone would visit Aunt Almas apartment she would come to face black children. There and then is when the stereotypes of black people started. The grown ups in Bone had nothing good to say about the niggers that lived by Aunt Alma. Running off with a mans children, living in the dirty place with niggers all around. My little girls having to go up those stairs past those nigger boys. My wife walking the street past those peckerwoods! (Allison 89). The family really did not approve of Aunt Alma living around black people. They were thought to be dirty and uncivilized people. Black people were also thought to be stupid and worthless. Bone was young at the time and did not know what to think about them. But she did not feel the same as her elders. Instead she made friends with them and learned to like them. I think Allison is trying to show the innocence of a child. Most kids are caring and loving until they are taught to hate. Bone grew up in a poor family. They would be considered in todays society as trailer trash. The stereotype of poor white folks was present in Bastard out of Carolina. Anne and Glen did not really have money so it was hard to support the kids. They basically lived with very little. They couldnt settle down at one house so they moved from one run down house to another. A lot of the characters described in this book had a lot of resemblance to what we would consider a red neck. For instance Uncle Travis has a big Chevy. Bone says it was jacked up so high that it easily cradled little kids or pregnant woman (Allison 1). Almost all the boys in the family had trucks. Thats typical for a red neck. Bone describes the Boatwright men as rugged, kind of dirty strong boys. They loved to fight and drink beer. The Boatwright family was big which again stereotyped poor white families. Also poor people are known to have kids out of wedlock. That was the situation Bone was. She was born out of wedlock and she never knew who her father was. That is the significance of the title Bastard out of Carolina. Gender also played a big role in this novel by Dorothy Allison. The male and female gender played a very distinctive role. In the Boatwright family the men are thought to be the physically strong. They take care of the family. They get into fights and are feared by a lot of people in town. Women of that time were supposed to stay at home cook and clean. They were supposed to wait for their husbands and never talk back. But I think Allison reversed the stereotype about women by making the Boatwright women very different. Most of them had jobs and were supporting them selfs. Aunt Raylene and Aunt Alma were some of the girls that lived by themselves. The women were strong too and they stuck together. Another way gender played a role was the relationship between Anne and Glen. From all the Boatwright women Anne was the weakest one. In the relationship Glen basically controlled Anne. Every time he did something bad she would end up forgiving him. Even after she found out he has been beating Bone she forgave him. Glen had all the power and Anne couldnt do anything because she loved him. Bastard out of Carolina faces issues about race, class and gender. Allison builds a world where all these issues are faced. Through the main character Bone, we see how race, class and gender affect her and her family. Race played a role when Bone meets black people for the first time and instead of judging them she became friend with them. The Boatwrights social status is not the best but they are feared by the community. They are considered poor and red necks. The last big issue that is seen in BOC is gender. Allison changed things up by making the women in the family stronger and more independent than other women of that time. In the end I think Allison decided to stereotype race, class and gender to show us it makes things worse then they already are. Work Cited 2 entries found for racism. 2003. Lexico Publishing Group, LLC. 19 Feb. 2006 http://owl. english. purdue. edu/handouts/research/r_mla. html Allison Dorothy. Bastard out of Carolina. New York. Penguin Group. 1993.

Race and Ethnicity Essay Example for Free

Race and Ethnicity Essay He was not joining some far-flung military effort of his country of birth: The 25-yearold from Brooklyn was joining the U. S. Marine Corps. A legal permanent resident, Alexandr can join the U. S. military even though he is not a citizen. His decision is not that unusual. Thousands of immigrants join each year; indeed, recently in cities such as New York, Miami, and Los Angeles immigrant enlistees have been joining in higher proportions than their peers in the general population. Some do it for the training or employment possibilities, but others are motivated by allegiance to their new country. As Alexandr said, â€Å"It doesn’t matter that America is not my country; New York is my city, and what happened shook my life. I feel patriotic, and I have this itch now to go sooner† (Chen and Sengupta 2001:A1). So the United States, with its diverse racial and ethnic heritage and new immigrants, is a country that respects its multiculturalism. Or does it? In July 2004, Jefferson County in Texas tried to bring to a close a century of debate. Over the objections of many residents, the County Board decided to rename a stretch of road known as â€Å"Jap Road. † Named for the Japanese rice farmers who had settled there in the 19TH century, the name had stuck despite generations of objections by Asian Americans and others. Finally change came (T. Marshall 2004). Lewiston, Maine, is also adjusting. In this old New England town, hundreds of Somalis have arrived seeking work and affordable housing thousands of miles from their African hometowns, which were torn apart by civil strife and famine. Residents expressed alarm over this influx, prompting the mayor to send a letter to all the Somalis already in Lewiston to discourage friends and relatives from relocating there. The pace of Somalis resettling to the Lewistown, many of them American citizens, slowed significantly amidst the furor (C. Jones 2003). Relations between racial and ethnic groups are not like relations between family members. The history of the United States is one of racial oppression. It goes well beyond a mayor in Maine or people living on a road in Texas not liking people of a certain color or national origin. Episodes of a new social identity developing, as in the case of Alexandr Manin, are not unusual, but that does not mean that the society is not structured to keep some groups of people down and extend privileges automatically to other groups based on race, ethnicity, or gender. People in the United States and elsewhere are beginning to consider that the same principles that guarantee equality based on race or gender can apply to other groups who are discriminated against. There have been growing efforts to ensure that the same rights and privileges are available to all people, regardless of age, disability, or sexual orientation. These concerns are emerging even as the old divisions over race, ethnicity, and religion continue to fester and occasionally explode into violence that envelops entire nations. The United States is a very diverse nation, as shown in Table 1. 1. According to the 2000 census, about 17 percent of the population are members of racial minorities, and about another 13 percent are Hispanic. These percentages represent almost one of three people in the United States, without counting White ethnic groups. As shown in Figure 1. 1, between 2000 and 2100 the population in the United States is expected to rise from 30 percent Black, Hispanic, Asian, and Native American to 60 percent. ISBN: 0-536-12071-4 4 Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 1 Understanding Race and Ethnicity 5 TABLE 1. 1 Racial and Ethnic Groups in the United States, 2000 Classification RACIAL GROUPS Whites (includes 16.9 million White Hispanic). Blacks/African Americans Native Americans, Alaskan Native Asian Americans Chinese Filipinos Asian Indians Vietnamese Koreans Japanese Other ETHNIC GROUPS White ancestry (single or mixed) Germans Irish English Italians Poles French Jews Hispanics (or Latinos) Mexican Americans Central and South Americans Puerto Ricans Cubans Other TOTAL (ALL GROUPS) Number in Thousands 211,461 34,658 2,476 10,243 2,433 1,850 1,679 1,123 1,077 797 1,285 Percentage of Total Population 75. 1 12. 3 0. 9 3. 6 0. 9 0. 7 0. 6 0. 4 0. 4 0. 2 0. 5 42,842 30,525 24,509 15,638 8,977 8,310 5,200 35,306 23,337 5,119 3,178 1,412 2,260 281,422. 15. 2 10. 8 8. 7 5. 6 3. 2 3. 0 1. 8 12. 5 8. 3 1. 8 1. 1 0. 5 0. 8 Note: Percentages do not total 100 percent, and subheads do not add up to figures in major heads because of overlap between groups (e. g. , Polish American Jews or people of mixed ancestry, such as Irish and Italian). Source: Brittingham and de la Cruz 2004; Bureau of the Census 2003a; Grieco and Cassidy 2001; Therrien and Ramirez 2001; United Jewish Communities 2001. Although the composition of the population is changing, the problems of prejudice, discrimination, and mistrust remain. What Is a Subordinate Group? Identifying a subordinate group or a minority in a society seems to be a simple enough task. In the United States, the groups readily identified as minorities— Blacks and Native Americans, for example—are outnumbered by non-Blacks and non-Native Americans. However, minority status is not necessarily the result of being outnumbered. A social minority need not be a mathematical one. A minority group is a subordinate group whose members have significantly less control or power over their own lives than do the members of a dominant or majority group. In sociology, minority means the same as subordinate, and dominant is used interchangeably with majority. minority group A subordinate group whose members have significantly less control or power over their own lives than do the members of a dominant or majority group. ISBN: 0-536-12071-4 Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. 6 Chapter 1 Understanding Race and Ethnicity 2000 African Americans 12% Hispanic 13% White non-Hispanic 70% American Indian 1% 2100 (projected) Asian and other 4% White non-Hispanic 40%. Hispanic 33% African Asian Americans and other 13% 14% FIGURE 1. 1 Population of the United States by Race and Ethnicity, 2000 and 2100 (Projected) According to projections by the Census Bureau, the proportion of residents of the United States who are White and non-Hispanic will decrease significantly by the year 2050. By contrast, there will be a striking rise in the proportion of both Hispanic Americans and Asian Americans. Source: Bureau of the Census 2004b. Confronted with evidence that a particular minority in the United States is subordinate to the majority, some people respond, â€Å"Why not? After all, this is a democracy, so the majority rules. † However, the subordination of a minority involves more than its inability to rule over society. A member of a subordinate or minority group experiences a narrowing of life’s opportunities—for success, education, wealth, the pursuit of happiness—that goes beyond any personal shortcoming he or she may have. A minority group does not share in proportion to its numbers what a given society, such as the United States, defines as valuable. Being superior in numbers does not guarantee a group control over its destiny and ensure majority status. In 1920, the majority of people in Mississippi and South Carolina were African Americans. Yet African Americans did not have as much control over their lives as Whites, let alone control of the states of Mississippi and South Carolina. Throughout the United States today are counties or neighborhoods in which the majority of people are African American, Native American, or Hispanic, but White Americans are the dominant force. Nationally, 50. 8 percent of the population is female, but males still dominate positions of authority and wealth well beyond their numbers. A minority or subordinate group has five characteristics: unequal treatment, distinguishing physical or cultural traits, involuntary membership, awareness of subordination, and in-group marriage (Wagley and Harris 1958): 1. Members of a minority experience unequal treatment and have less power over their lives than members of a dominant group have over theirs. Prejudice, discrimination, segregation, and even extermination create this social inequality. 2. Members of a minority group share physical or cultural characteristics that distinguish them from the dominant group, such as skin color or language. Each society has its own arbitrary standard for determining which characteristics are most important in defining dominant and minority groups. 3. Membership in a dominant or minority group is not voluntary: People are born into the group. A person does not choose to be African American or White. 4. Minority-group members have a strong sense of group solidarity. William Graham Sumner, writing in 1906, noted that people make distinctions between members ISBN: 0-536-12071-4 Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 1. Understanding Race and Ethnicity 7 of their own group (the in-group) and everyone else (the out-group). When a group is the object of long-term prejudice and discrimination, the feeling of â€Å"us versus them† often becomes intense. 5. Members of a minority generally marry others from the same group. A member of a dominant group often is unwilling to join a supposedly inferior minority by marrying one of its members. In addition, the minority group’s sense of solidarity encourages marriage within the group and discourages marriage to outsiders. racial group A group that is socially set apart because of obvious physical differences. ethnic group A group set apart from others because of its national origin or distinctive cultural patterns. Types of Subordinate Groups There are four types of minority or subordinate groups. All four, except where noted, have the five properties previously outlined. The four criteria for classifying minority groups are race, ethnicity, religion, and gender. Racial Groups The term racial group is reserved for minorities and the corresponding majorities that are socially set apart because of obvious physical differences. Notice the two crucial words in the definition: obvious and physical. What is obvious? Hair color? Shape of an earlobe? Presence of body hair? To whom are these differences obvious, and why? Each society defines what it finds obvious. In the United States, skin color is one obvious difference. On a cold winter day when one has clothing covering all but one’s head, however, skin color may be less obvious than hair color. Yet people in the United States have learned informally that skin color is important, and hair color is unimportant. We need to say more than that. In the United States, people have traditionally classified and classify themselves as either Black or White. There is no in-between state except for people readily identified as Native Americans or Asian Americans. Later in this chapter we will explore this issue more deeply and see how such assumptions have very complex implications. Other societies use skin color as a standard but may have a more elaborate system of classification. In Brazil, where hostility between races is less than in the United States, numerous categories identify people on the basis of skin color. In the United States, a person is Black or White. In Brazil, a variety of terms, such as cafuso, mazombo, preto, and escuro, are applied to describe various combinations of skin color, facial features, and hair texture. What makes differences obvious is subject to a society’s definition. The designation of a racial group emphasizes physical differences as opposed to cultural distinctions. In the United States, minority races include Blacks, Native Americans (or American Indians), Japanese Americans, Chinese Americans, Arab Americans, Filipinos, Hawaiians, and other Asian peoples. The issue of race and racial differences has been an important one, not only in the United States but throughout the entire sphere of European influence. Later in this chapter we will examine race and its significance more closely. We should not forget that Whites are a race, too. As we will consider in Chapter 5, who is White has been subject to change over time as certain European groups were felt historically not to deserve being considered White, but over time, partly to compete against a growing Black population, the whiting of some European Americans has occurred. Ethnic Groups ISBN: 0-536-12071-4 Ethnic minority groups are differentiated from the dominant group on the basis of cultural differences, such as language, attitudes toward marriage and parenting, and food habits. Ethnic groups are groups set apart from others because of their national origin or distinctive cultural patterns. Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. 8 Chapter 1 Understanding Race and Ethnicity Ethnic groups in the United States include a grouping that we call Hispanics or Latinos, which includes Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, and other Latin Americans in the United States. Hispanics can be either Black or White, as in the case of a dark-skinned Puerto Rican who may be taken as Black in central Texas but be viewed as a Puerto Rican in New York City. The ethnic group category also includes White ethnics, such as Irish Americans, Polish Americans, and Norwegian Americans. The cultural traits that make groups distinctive usually originate from their homeland or, for Jews, from a long history of being segregated and prohibited from becoming a part of the host society. Once in the United States, an immigrant group may maintain distinctive cultural practices through associations, clubs, and worship. Ethnic enclaves such as a Little Haiti or a Greektown in urban areas also perpetuate cultural distinctiveness. Some racial groups may also have unique cultural traditions, as we can readily see in the many Chinatowns throughout the United States. For racial groups, however, the physical distinctiveness and not the cultural differences generally prove to be the barrier to acceptance by the host society. For example, Chinese Americans who are faithful Protestants and know the names of all the members of the Baseball Hall of Fame may be bearers of American culture. Yet these Chinese Americans are still part of a minority because they are seen as physically different. Ethnicity continues to be important, as recent events in Bosnia and other parts of Eastern Europe have demonstrated. Almost a century ago, African American sociologist W. E. B. Du Bois, addressing an audience in London, called attention to the overwhelming importance of the color line throughout the world. In â€Å"Listen to Our Voices,† we read the remarks of Du Bois, the first Black person to receive a doctorate from Harvard, who later helped to organize the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Du Bois’s observances give us a historic perspective on the struggle for equality. We can look ahead, knowing how far we have come and speculating on how much further we have to go. Religious Groups Association with a religion other than the dominant faith is the third basis for minoritygroup status. In the United States, Protestants, as a group, outnumber members of all other religions. Roman Catholics form the largest minority religion. Chapter 5 focuses on the increasing Judeo-Christian-Islamic diversity of the United States. For people who are not a part of the Christian tradition, such as followers of Islam, allegiance to the faith often is misunderstood and stigmatizes people. This stigmatization became especially widespread and legitimated by government action in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. Religious minorities include such groups as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Mormons), Jehovah’s Witnesses, Amish, Muslims, and Buddhists. Cults or sects associated with such practices as animal sacrifice, doomsday prophecy, demon worship, or the use of snakes in a ritualistic fashion would also constitute minorities. Jews are excluded from this category and placed among ethnic groups. Culture is a more important defining trait for Jewish people worldwide than is religious dogma. Jewish Americans share a cultural tradition that goes beyond theology. In this sense, it is appropriate to view them as an ethnic group rather than as members of a religious faith. Gender Groups Gender is another attribute that creates dominant and subordinate groups. Males are the social majority; females, although more numerous, are relegated to the position of the social minority—a subordinate status to be explored in detail in Chapter 15. Women are considered a minority even though they do not exhibit all the characteristics outlined earlier (e. g. , there is little in-group marriage). Women encounter prejuISBN: 0-536-12071-4 Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 1 Understanding Race and Ethnicity 9 ur oices Voices Listen to Our Voices Listen to. PROBLEM OF THE COLOR LINE sively refused to let the spirit of n the metropolis of the class, of caste, of privilege, or of modern world, in this the birth, debar from life, liberty closing year of the nineand the pursuit of happiness a teenth century, there has been striving human soul. assembled a congress of men Let not color or race be a and women of African blood, to feature of distinction between deliberate solemnly upon the white and black men, regardless present situation and outlook of of worth or ability. . . . the darker races of mankind. Thus we appeal with boldness The problem of the twentieth W. E. B. Du Bois and confidence to the Great century is the problem of the Powers of the civilized world, trusting in the color line, the question as to how far differwide spirit of humanity, and the deep sense ences of race—which show themselves chiefly of justice of our age, for a generous recogniin the color of the skin and the texture of the tion of the righteousness of our cause.  ¦ hair—will hereafter be made the basis of denying to over half the world the right of sharing to their utmost ability the opportunities and privileges of modern civilization. . . . Let the world take no backward step in Source: Du Bois [1969a]. From pp. 20–21, 23, in An ABC of Color, that slow but sure progress which has succesby W. E. B. Du Bois. Copyright 1969 by International Publishers. I dice and discrimination and are physically distinguishable. Group membership is involuntary, and many women have developed a sense of sisterhood. Women who are members of racial and ethnic minorities face a special challenge to achieving equality. They suffer from double jeopardy because they belong to two separate minority groups: a racial or ethnic group plus a subordinate gender group. Other Subordinate Groups This book focuses on groups that meet a set of criteria for subordinate status. People encounter prejudice or are excluded from full participation in society for many reasons. Racial, ethnic, religious, and gender barriers are the main ones, but there are others. Age, disabilities, and sexual orientation are among the factors that are used to subordinate groups of people. As a result, in Chapter 17 we will go beyond the title of the book and consider other groups of people who have been excluded from all that society offers and witness their fight against prejudice and discrimination. Does Race Matter? ISBN: 0-536-12071-4 We see people around us—some of whom may look quite different from us. Do these differences matter? The simple answer is no, but because so many people have for so long acted as if difference in physical characteristics as well geographic origin and shared culture do matter, distinct groups have been created in people’s minds. Race Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. 10 Chapter 1. Understanding Race and Ethnicity NOT AVAILABLE FOR ELECTRONIC VIEWING has many meanings for many people. Often these meanings are inaccurate and based on theories discarded by scientists generations ago. As we will see, race is a socially constructed concept (J. Young 2003). Biological Meaning The way the term race has been used by some people to apply to human beings lacks any scientific meaning. We cannot identify distinctive physical characteristics for groups of human beings the way scientists do to distinguish one animal species from another. The idea of biological race is based on the mistaken notion of a genetically isolated human group. Even among past proponents that sharp, scientific divisions exist among humans, there were endless debates over what the races of the world were. Given people’s frequent migration, exploration, and invasions, pure genetic types have not existed for some time, if they ever did. There are no mutually exclusive races. Skin color among African Americans varies tremendously, as it does among White Americans. There is even an overlapping of dark-skinned Whites and light-skinned African Americans. If we grouped people by genetic resistance to malaria and by fingerprint patterns, Norwegians and many African groups would be of the same race. If we grouped people by some digestive capacities, some Africans, Asians, and southern Europeans would be of one group and West Africans and northern Europeans of another (Leehotz 1995; Shanklin 1994). Biologically there are no pure, distinct races. For example, blood type cannot distinguish racial groups with any accuracy. Furthermore, applying pure racial types to humans is problematic because of interbreeding. Despite continuing prejudice about Black-White marriages, a large number of Whites have African American ancestry. Scientists, using various techniques, maintain that the proportion of African Americans with White ancestry is between 20 and 75 percent. Despite the wide range of these estimates, the mixed ancestry of today’s Blacks and Whites is part of the biological reality of race (Herskovits 1930:15; Roberts 1955). biological race The mistaken notion of a genetically isolated human group. ISBN: 0-536-12071-4 Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 1 Understanding Race and Ethnicity 11 Even the latest research as a part of the Human Genome Project mapping human DNA has only served to confirm genetic diversity with differences within traditionally regarded racial groups (e. g. , Black Africans) much greater than that between groups (e. g. , between Black Africans and Europeans). Research has also been conducted to determine whether personality characteristics such as temperament and nervous habits are inherited among minority groups. Not surprisingly, the question of whether races have different innate levels of intelligence has led to the most explosive controversy (Bamshad and Olson 2003). Typically, intelligence is measured as an intelligence quotient (IQ), the ratio of a person’s mental age to his or her chronological age, multiplied by 100, where 100 represents average intelligence and higher scores represent greater intelligence. It should be noted that there is little consensus over just what intelligence is, other than as defined by such IQ tests. Intelligence tests are adjusted for a person’s age, so that 10-year-olds take a very different test from someone aged 20. Although research shows that certain learning strategies can improve a person’s IQ, generally IQ remains stable as one ages. A great deal of debate continues over the accuracy of these tests. Are they biased toward people who come to the tests with knowledge similar to that of the test writers? Consider the following two questions used on standard tests. 1. Runner: marathon (A) envoy: embassy, (B) oarsman: regatta, (C) martyr: massacre, (D) referee: tournament. 2. Your mother sends you to a store to get a loaf of bread. The store is closed. What should you do? (A) return home, (B) go to the next store, (C) wait until it opens, (D) ask a stranger for advice. Both correct answers are B. But is a lower-class youth likely to know, in the first question, what a regatta is? Skeptics argue that such test questions do not truly measure intellectual potential. Inner-city youths often have been shown to respond with A to the second question because that may be the only store with which the family has credit. Youths in rural areas, where the next store may be miles away, are also unlikely to respond with the designated correct answer. The issue of culture bias in tests remains an unresolved concern. The most recent research shows that differences in intelligence scores between Blacks and Whites are almost eliminated when adjustments are made for social and economic characteristics (Brooks-Gunn et al. 1996; Herrnstein and Murray 1994:30; Kagan 1971; J. Young 2003). The second issue, trying to associate these results with certain subpopulations such as races, also has a long history. In the past, a few have contended that Whites have more intelligence on average than Blacks. All researchers agree that within-group differences are greater than any speculated differences between groups. The range of intelligence among, for example, Korean Americans is much greater than any average difference between them as a group and Japanese Americans. The third issue relates to the subpopulations themselves. If Blacks or Whites are not mutually exclusive biologically, how can there be measurable differences? Many Whites and most Blacks have mixed ancestry that complicates any supposed inheritance of intelligence issue. Both groups reflect a rich heritage of very dissimilar populations, from Swedes to Slovaks and Zulus to Tutus. In 1994, an 845-page book unleashed a new national debate on the issue of IQ. The latest research effort of psychologist Richard J. Herrnstein and social scientist Charles Murray (1994), published in The Bell Curve, concluded that 60 percent of IQ is inheritable and that racial groups offer a convenient means to generalize about any differences in intelligence. Unlike most other proponents of the race-IQ link, the authors offered policy suggestions that include ending welfare to discourage births among low-IQ poor women and changing immigration laws so that the IQ pool in the United States is not diminished. Herrnstein and Murray even made generalizations intelligence quotient The ratio of a person’s mental age (as computed by an IQ test) to his or her chronological age, multiplied by 100. ISBN: 0-536-12071-4 Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. 12 Chapter 1 Understanding Race and Ethnicity about IQ levels among Asians and Hispanics in the United States, groups subject to even more intermarriage. It is not possible to generalize about absolute differences between groups, such as Latinos versus Whites, when almost half of Latinos in the United States marry non-Hispanics. Years later, the mere mention of â€Å"the bell curve† signals to many the belief in a racial hierarchy with Whites toward the top and Blacks near the bottom. The research present then and repeated today points to the difficulty in definitions: What is intelligence, and what constitutes a racial group, given generations, if not centuries, of intermarriage? How can we speak of definitive inherited racial differences if there has been intermarriage between people of every color? Furthermore, as people on both sides of the debate have noted, regardless of the findings, we would still want to strive to maximize the talents of each individual. All research shows that the differences within a group are much greater than any alleged differences between group averages. All these issues and controversial research have led to the basic question of what difference it would make if there were significant differences. No researcher believes that race can be used to predict one’s intelligence. Also, there is a general agreement that certain intervention strategies can improve scholastic achievement and even intelligence as defined by standard tests. Should we mount efforts to upgrade the abilities of those alleged to be below average? These debates tend to contribute to a sense of hopelessness among some policy makers who think that biology is destiny, rather than causing them to rethink the issue or expand positive intervention efforts. Why does such IQ research re-emerge if the data are subject to different interpretations? The argument that â€Å"we† are superior to â€Å"them† is very appealing to the dominant group. It justifies receiving opportunities that are denied to others. For example, the authors of The Bell Curve argue that intelligence significantly determines the poverty problem in the United States. We can anticipate that the debate over IQ and the allegations of significant group differences will continue. Policy makers need to acknowledge the difficulty in treating race as a biologically significant characteristic. Social Construction of Race If race does not distinguish humans from one another biologically, why does it seem to be so important? It is important because of the social meaning people have attached to it. The 1950 (UNESCO) Statement on Race maintains that â€Å"for all practical social purposes ‘race’ is not so much a biological phenomenon as a social myth† (Montagu 1972:118). Adolf Hitler expressed concern over the â€Å"Jewish race† and translated this concern into Nazi death camps. Winston Churchill spoke proudly of the â€Å"British race† and used that pride to spur a nation to fight. Evidently, race was a useful political tool for two very different leaders in the 1930s and 1940s. Race is a social construction, and this process benefits the oppressor, who defines who is privileged and who is not. The acceptance of race in a society as a legitimate category allows racial hierarchies to emerge to the benefit of the dominant â€Å"races. † For example, inner-city drive-by shootings have come to be seen as a race-specific problem worthy of local officials cleaning up troubled neighborhoods. Yet schoolyard shoot-outs are viewed as a societal concern and placed on the national agenda. People could speculate that if human groups have obvious physical differences, then they could have corresponding mental or personality differences. No one disagrees that people differ in temperament, potential to learn, and sense of humor. In its social sense, race implies that groups that differ physically also bear distinctive emotional and mental abilities or disabilities. These beliefs are based on the notion that humankind can be divided into distinct groups. We have already seen the difficulties associated with pigeonholing people into racial categories. Despite these difficulties, belief in the inheritance of behavior patterns and in an association between physical and cultural traits is widespread. It is called racism when this belief is coupled with the feeling that certain ISBN: 0-536-12071-4 racism A doctrine that one race is superior. Racial and Ethnic Groups, Tenth Edition, by Richard T. Schaefer. Published by Prentice-Hall. Copyright  © 2006 by Pearson Education, Inc. Chapter 1 Understanding Race and Ethnicity 13 groups or races are inherently superior to others. Racism is a doctrine of racial supremacy, stating that one race is superior to another (Bash 2001; Bonilla-Silva 1996). We questioned the biological significance of race in the previous section. In modern complex industrial societies, we find little adaptive utility in the presence or absence of prominent chins, epicanthic folds of the eyelids, or the comparative amount of melanin in the skin. What is important is not that people are genetically different but that they approach one another with dissimilar perspectives. It is in the social setting that race is decisive. Race is significant because people have given it significance. Race definitions are crystallized through what Michael Omi and Howard Winant (1994) cal.

Seagate Technologies: Operation Hedging

Seagate Technologies: Operation Hedging The Seagate Technologies as a group assignment in our Production Logistics course. The purpose and aim of this case it to learn the impact of each assets (location) capacity on the overall profitability of the processing network. In addition, investigate how the entire capacity portfolio can be designed to provide an optimal hedge against uncertainty. We have been following six questions: i) what is Seagates corporate strategy? Describe and evaluate how its operational strategy and processes support the corporate strategy. Critically evaluate Seagates product and process development strategy, which calls for development in its respective product / process centre in U.S. and then exporting the developed process to site in the Far-East for high-volume production. ii) What are Seagates major risks? How does it manage those risks? iii) How would you describe the capacity of the processing network if the current CAR capacity proposal were implemented? What is the expected profit and ROI under this investment? (Given the short product life, assume the firm is making its decision for a single time period of length one year, at the end of which manufacturing capacity will zero salvage value). iv) The case states that the true demand forecast contains uncertainty. Given this forecast, recommend a capacity portfolio that maximizes expected NPV. (Recall, capacity investment must be performed before you observe actual market demand). Verify financial attractiveness of your recommendation. What is the expected profit and ROI now? v) Interpret your recommended capacity portfolio in intuitive terms: in what sense does your capacity configuration prepare you to hedging and why is your plan to be preferred? vi) In broad conceptual terms, what are the advantages of sales-plan driven capacity planning? What is wrong with that practice end how would you improve on it? LITERATURE REVIEW Operations Management: In operations management, there are two streams of research originating from two separate, but conceptually similar, definitions of operational hedging. The first definition, as introduced by Huchzermeier (1991) and quoted in Ding and Kouvelis (2001, p.2), states that Operational hedging strategies à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ can be viewed as real (compound) options that are exercised in response to demand, price and exchange rate contingencies faced by firms in a global supply chain context. Real options might have value-enhancing capabilities under uncertainty. The value-enhancing feature of real options under uncertainty is called exploiting uncertainty. Huchzermeier and Cohen (1996) analyze operational flexibility, which they define as the ability to switch among different global manufacturing strategy options. Cohen and Huchzemeier (1999) illustrate how the deployment of excess capacity can be a source of operational flexibility in global supply chains. They argue that investing in capacity in excess of the aggregate demand forecast provides flexibility in coping with demand uncertainties. Additionally, excess capacity enables the firm to produce more in that location, providing a value-enhancing opportunity in addition to reducing its downside risks. The second definition of operational hedging is found in Van Mieghem (2003). Without referring to real options, but making an analogy with its financial counterpart, financial hedging, Van Mieghem defines operational hedging as mitigating risk by counterbalancing actions in a processing network that do not involve financial instruments. He lists dual-sourcing, component commonality, having the option to run overtime, dynamic substitution, routing, transshipping, or shifting processing among different types of capital, locations or subcontractors, holding safety stocks and purchasing warranty guarantees as operational hedging strategies. One of the main contributions of this definition is the observation that operational hedging can be employed in the absence of tradable risks, particularly exchange rate risk, as all the other academic fields mostly consider operational hedging in an exchange rate framework. Again departing from the literature, Van Mieghem does not consider any particular risk measure to formalize the effect of operational hedging in terms of risk mitigation. In addition, the term counterbalancing actions is not formalized: criteria to determine whether given actions are counterbalancing are not developed, this term corresponds to investing in more than one resource, or betting on two horses that is, investing in operational flexibility, similar to the former definition of operational hedging. Finally, as with real options, counterbalancing actions described by Van Mieghem have a value-enhancing capability and increase expected profit in a risk-neutral setting. This is demonstrated on a two-product, two-stage production system where capacity imbalance is the operational hedging strategy (Harrison and Van Mieghem 1999, Van Mieghem 2003). By purposely unbalancing the capacity vector, i.e. having safety capacity (in excess of the capacity that would be optimal in the deterministic case), firms can hedge against demand uncertainty and increase expected profit. Counterbalancing actions, taken in such a way as to maximize expected profit for a risk-neutral decision maker, are called operational hedges. Finance In the finance literature, operational hedging is the course of action that hedges the firms risk exposure by means of non-financial instruments, particularly through operational activities. Similar to the operations management literature, operational flexibility is the major operational hedging strategy discussed in the finance literature. In addition to operational flexibility, geographical diversification is another operational hedging strategy in a multinational context. Geographical diversification is aligning the costs and revenues of a firm so that they are exposed to the same risks. Domestic firms selling to foreign markets can ensure that their production costs and sales revenues are exposed to the same exchange rate uncertainties by opening a production facility in these markets. Therefore, geographical diversification reduces the total variability of cash flows. Chowdry and Howe (1999) argue that the facility location decision is considered to be an operational hedging strategy only when firms are concerned with the variability of their operating profits. Hommel (2003) argues that operational flexibility is employed as a hedging device when the exchange rate and demand volatility are sufficiently large (in that case the minimum profit constraint is violated); otherwise it serves as a value driver to enhance expected profits. It is emphasized that because operational flexibility can be used for a purely value-enhancement motive, it is considered to be an operational hedging strategy only when there is a risk hedging motive for employing it. Generally speaking, operational actions are considered to be operational hedges if they are taken in order to reduce a risk measure of concern. In particular, if firms care about downside risk (e.g. having a minimum profit constraint), then operational hedges mitigate risk through a reduction in the downside exposure. In summary, the finance literature defines operational hedging as mitigating firms risks by operational means. Operational flexibility achieved through various operational means (ability to shift production, transferring technologies, product differentiation etc.) and geographical diversification is the operational hedges of firms utilized in conjunction with financial hedges. Compared to their financial counterparts, operational hedges require higher levels of capital investment (opening a production facility), but create longer term hedges against risk exposures including risks that are not contingent on asset prices (e.g. demand risks, political risks). Strategy and International Business Diversification is defined as having different lines of business through mergers and joint ventures (Wang and Lim 2003), of which geographical diversification is one type. Kogut (1985) analyzes diversification and operational flexibility as risk management tools of multinationals. He argues that an operational decision (the sourcing policy in this case) can create three different types of risk profile: speculative, hedged and flexible. The speculative profile is betting on one site mainly to benefit from economies of scale in operations. By matching the exchange rate exposure on the cost side with that on the profit side, the firm can create a hedged risk profile. This approach corresponds to the geographical diversification strategy. Finally, a flexible risk profile created through operational flexibility permits the firm to exploit uncertainties by creating real options. In the international business literature, Pantzalis et al. (2001) define operational hedging as the firms operational decisions (related to marketing, production, sourcing, plant location, and treasury) that are best suited to managing the exchange rate exposure on the firms competitive position across markets. In summary, the strategy literature focuses on operational flexibility and diversification as risk management tools without defining them as operational hedges. Operational flexibility achieved through several operational means (developing in-house capacity, product differentiation, keeping excess capacity etc.) creates both arbitrage and leverage opportunities for multinational firms. In addition to aligning costs and revenues, real option benefits of geographical diversification in the form of growth options are discussed. The international business research, similar to the finance literature, focuses on operational flexibility and geographical diversification as long-term operational hedges of multinationals against exchange rate exposures. Analysis of Seagate Technologies: Question 1: What is Seagates corporate strategy? Describe and evaluate how its operational strategy and processes support the corporate strategy. Critically evaluate Seagates product and process development strategy, which calls for development in its respective product / process centre in U.S. and then exporting the developed process to site in the Far-East for high-volume production. Answer: Seagate Technologies Corporate Strategy: The Barracuda The Cheetah are two new Seagates high-end disk-drive products families that are scheduled to go into volume production in the first calendar quarter of 1998. The capital appropriation request called for $ 103 million capital investment in two final assembly facilities, one for the Barracuda and one for the Cheetah and one for joint test facility. The companys establishment and ongoing expansion of production facilities in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, China and Ireland are directed toward cost reduction. Describe and evaluate how its operational strategy and processes support the corporate strategy. Operational Strategy and Processes: Manufacturing Strategy: Process Choice Establishment and maintenance of key vendor relationships. Produce and sell its disc drives in significant volume, continue to lower manufacturing costs and carefully monitor inventory levels. Transfer volume production of disc drives and related components between facilities, including transfer overseas to countries where labor costs and other manufacturing costs are significantly lower than in the U.S. Infrastructure The key element if the Seagates manufacturing strategy is high volume, low cost assembly and test; vertical integration in the manufacturing of selected components. Seagate continually evaluates its components and manufacturing processes. Seagate rapidly achieve high manufacturing yields in new production processes and obtain uninterrupted access to high quality components in required volumes at competitive prices. Marketing Strategy: Seagates ability to compete successfully depends on its ability to provide timely product introductions and to combine to reduce production costs. The companys establishment and ongoing expansion of production facilities in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, China and Ireland are directed toward such cost reductions. The two new products were planned to be in volume production only for the four quarters of 1998. The capital investment to build production capacity was significant and had two components. First, there were significant fixed costs estimated at about $ 40 million associated with designing, commissioning, and starting up the three new facilities. The second component was that the capital expense of building new capacity increased with the amount of capacity: larger production capacity required larger space requirements and tooling costs, leading to an linear increase in the capital expense. Seagate products include over 50 rigid disc drive models with from factors 2.5 to 5.25 inches and capacities from 1GB 10 23 GB. Seagate believes it offers the broadest range from of disc storage products available. It provides more than one product at some capacity points and differentiates products on a price / performance and form factor basis. Seagate typically devotes its resource to developing products with industries leading performance characteristics and to being among the first to introduce such products to market. The company continuously seeks to enhance its market presence in emerging segments of the rigid disc drive market by drawing on its established capabilities in high volume, low cost productions. The Marathon and Medalist disk drive product lines are targeted for the personal mobile and desktop computing market, respectively, while the high end workstation and server/multi user systems market is served with the Barracuda, Cheetah, and Elite product families. The Barracuda family of 3.5 inch drives was first introduced in 1992. At 7,200 rpm the Barracuda had the highest rotation speed of any drives produced at that time. In fiscal year 1997, Seagate introduced two new products in the Barracuda family, the Barracuda 4LP and the Barracuda 4XL, with 4GB and 4.5GB respectively. The Barracuda 4XL, which began volume production during the fourth quarter of fiscal 1997, was designed to provide a balance of price and performance for the workstation market as it matures. In August 1996, the company announced the 3.5 inch Cheetah family the worlds first drives to offer rotation speeds of 10,000 rpm for increased data throughout and lower latency times. The Cheetah drive is focused at the very high performance segment of the market. Volume production of the Cheetah 4LP and the Cheetah 9 began in the third and fourth quarters of fiscal 1997, respectively. Seagate is going to announce the fifth generation Barracuda 9LP and the second generation Cheetah 0LP in early fall 1997, with volume production schedule to begin in the first calendar quarter of 1998. Finally, the Elite product line covers the high end 5.25 inch market. In the third quarter of fiscal year 1997, production commenced on the Elite 23, a high performance, 5.25 inch disc drive with 23 GB of formatted capacity, a rotation speed of 5,400 rpm and mean time between failures of 500,000 hours. Critically evaluate Seagates product and process development strategy, which calls for development in its respective product / process centre in U.S. and then exporting the developed process to site in the Far-East for high-volume production. Product and Process Development: The content of the Seagate product/ process strategy: Seagate has the superior strategy, i.e. business strategy or corporate strategy, requirements on the product portfolio. It is described in the case the present state of the product portfolio. It is also described in the case what would be the future state of the product portfolio. A plan of action, i.e. how Seagate wanted product portfolio can be reached in practice. The five steps/activities are described below: Requirements on the product portfolio: The most central activity in the process is the identification of the requirements on the product portfolio. The requirements should be found both in the superior strategy, i.e. business strategy or corporate strategy, and also in other functional strategies. Requirements put on the product portfolio consist of among other range, mix and volumes of products. Seagate has number of segments which is introduced in the market. New product proposals: Ideas for new products can arise in different ways; customer, market analysis etc. The new product proposal capture, visualize and preserve the ideas that are found within and outside the company. The aim of the new product proposals is to attain a more distinct product development funnel as shown in Figure 12, where several ideas are evaluated in parallel. Seagates strategy for new products emphasizes developing and introducing on timely and cost effective basis products that offer functionality an d performance equal to or better than competitive product offering. Product development process: The product development process should fit the actual company, its products and its manufacturing. The product development process should also state which design method to use when and why. Seagate devotes significant resources to product engineering aimed at improving manufacturing processes, lowering manufacturing cost and increasing volume production. Seagates process engineering groups are located with the disc drive development groups and the reliability engineering groups in many cities of U.S. and also in Singapore. Product portfolio: When making decisions within the product development process it is important to have the product portfolio in mind and vice versa. Therefore it is emphasized that the same group of managers handles both the product development process and the product portfolio. Reengineering or product deleting: All products have a limited life span. Not unusual at companies aimed at in this research is some kind of facelifts of products during their lifetime. New requirements like new features, manufacturing processes, customer needs etc. on a product or product family require a reengineering or the product will be obsolete. Seagates product life cycles of disc drives are short (high volume products introduced and sold for about 6 to 7 quarters. Due to fast changing in technology in computer industries the product deleting is very short and re-engineering might cost extra money to Seagate due to rapid development. Question 2: What are Seagates major risks? How does it manage those risks? Answer: Competitive differentiation: (e.g., price, quality, time or customization) Market: Fundamental change in supply and demand functions or global prices for commodities. The rigid disc drive industry is intensely competitive, with manufactures competing for a limited number of major customers. In addition to the product performance dimension, the principal competitive factors in the rigid disc drive market include product quality and reliability, form factor, price per unit, price per megabyte, production volume capability and responsiveness to customers. The relative importance of these factors varies with different customers and for different products. Competitors offer new and existing products at prices necessary to gain or retain market share and customers. To remain competitive, Seagate believes it will be necessary to continue to reduce its price and aggressively enhance its product offering. Technological capabilities (lead or follow in technology innovation) With the proliferation of multimedia applications, the demand for increased drive capacities has and continues to increase at an accelerating rate since sound and moving pictures require many times the storage capacity of simple text. Economic: Ability to attract and retain staff in the labour market; exchange rates affect costs of international transactions; effect of global economy. Given the high demand uncertainty of the two product families, the current capital appropriation request moves Seagate towards financial risk in terms of expenditure. Socio-cultural: Demographic change affects demand for services; stakeholder expectations change. Operational: Relating to existing operations both current delivery and building and maintaining. A pessimistic scenario with likelihood estimated at 25%, would demand only 150,000 Cheetahs and 350,000 Barracudas. Mitigating Risk with Financial Hedging: If the counterbalancing actions involve trading financial instruments, including short selling, futures, and options, this is financial hedging. Financial hedging yields an elegant approach to incorporating risk without having to resort to utility functions and price its present value using risk-neutral discounting. The basic idea is to construct a perfect hedge, which is a portfolio that provides a constant future value in any state of nature and therefore can be priced using risk-free discounting. Financial hedging requires writing an unambiguous contract that specifies capacity usages in a form that is divisible, trade able, and enforceable. Mitigating Risk with Operational Hedging: Processing flexibility such as dual or multi-sourcing, using component commonality, having the option to run overtime or to dynamically reroute or shift production (among different types of capital, locations, or subcontractors); holding safety stocks; having warranty guarantees, etc. A variety of these actions can be grouped as counterbalancing capacities to mitigate risk, often by inducing some form of resource pooling. Question 3 How would you describe capacity of processing network if current CAR capacity proposal were implemented? What is the expected profit and ROI under this investment? (Given the short product life, assume the firm is making the decisions for a single time period of length one year, at the end of which manufacturing capacity will have zero salvage value) Answer: Expected Capacity Scenario (Capacity both for Cheetah and Barracuda is 300000) There are 2 different profit and cost structure PS=Profit of solved product C=Cost of unused capacity Contribution Margins Cheetah=$400 Barracuda=$300 Demands Pessimistic (25%) Expected (50%) Optimistic (25%) Cheetah 150 000 300 000 450 000 Barracuda 350 000 300 000 250 000 Demand for Cheetah in Pessimistic Scenario (0.25) Profit= (PS-C)*(0.25) PS= $400*150000 ($30000*(150) +$80000*(150)) =$43.500.000 C= $30000*(150) + $80000(50) (The spare capacity cost is shared in Cheetah and Barracuda) =$8.500.000 Profit= $35.000.000 * 0.25 Demand for Cheetah in Expected Scenario (0.50) Profit= (PS)*(0.50) PS= $400*300000 ($30000*(300) +$80000*(300)) =$87.000.000 Demand for Cheetah in Optimistic Scenario (0.25) Profit= (PS)*(0.25) PS= $400*300000 ($30000*(300) +$80000*(300)) =$87.000.000 Total profit for cheetah = (PS-C)*(0.25) + PS*(0.50) +PS*(0.25) =$35.000.000 * 0.25+$87.000.000 * 0.50+$87.000.000 * 0.25 =$74.000.000 Demand for Barracuda in Optimistic Scenario (0.25) Profit= (PS-C)*(0.25) PS= $300*250000 ($20000*(250) +$80000*(250)) =$50.000.000 C= $30000*(150) =$4.500.000 Profit= $45.500.000 * 0.25 Demand for Barracuda in Expected Scenario (0.50) Profit= (PS)*(0.50) PS= $300*300000 ($20000*(300) +$80000*(300)) =$60.000.000 Demand for Cheetah in Pessimistic Scenario (0.25) Profit= (PS)*(0.25) PS= $300*350000 ($20000*(300) +$80000*(300)) =$60.000.000 Total profit for barracuda = (PS-C)*(0.25) + PS*(0.50) +PS*(0.25) =$45.500.000 * 0.25+$60.000.000 * 0.50+$60.000.000 * 0.25 =$56.375.000 Total Profit for the System= Total profit for cheetah+ Total profit for barracuda -Fixed Cost = $74.000.000+$56.375.000- $40.000.000 = $90.375.000 Question 4: The case states that true demand forecast contains uncertainty. Given this forecast contains recommend a capacity portfolio that maximizes expected NPV. (Recall, capacity investment must be performed before you observe actual market demand).Verify financial attractiveness of your recommendation: What is the expected profit and ROI now? Answer: As mentioned above; we calculated the total profit according to the expected capacity scenario. In uncertainty situations we also calculate total profit pessimistic and optimistic scenarios as well Pessimistic Capacity Scenario (Capacity for Cheetah 150000 and Barracuda is 350000) Demand for Cheetah in Pessimistic Scenario (0.25) Profit= (PS-C)*(0.25) PS= $400*150000 ($30000*(150) +$80000*(150)) =$43.500.000 C= $80000(50) (The spare capacity cost is shared in Cheetah and Barracuda) =$4.000.000 Profit= $47.500.000 * 0.25 Demand for Cheetah in Expected Scenario (0.50) Profit= (PS)*(0.50) PS= $400*150000 ($30000*(150) +$80000*(150)) =$43.500.000 Demand for Cheetah in Optimistic Scenario (0.25) Profit= (PS)*(0.50) PS= $400*150000 ($20000*(150) +$80000*(150)) =$43.500.000 Total profit for cheetah = (PS-C)*(0.25) + PS*(0.50) +PS*(0.25) =$47.500.000 * 0.25+$43.500.000 * 0.50+$43.500.000 * 0.25 =$44.500.000 Demand for Barracuda in Pessimistic Scenario (0.25) Profit= (PS-C)*(0.25) PS= $300*350000 ($20000*(350) +$80000*(350)) =$70.000.000 C= $80000(50) (The spare capacity cost is shared in Cheetah and Barracuda) =$4.000.000 Profit= $66.000.000 * 0.25 Demand for Barracuda in Expected Scenario (0.50) Profit= (PS)*(0.50) PS= $300*300000 ($20000*(300) +$80000*(300)) =$60.000.000 Demand for Barracuda in Optimistic Scenario (0.25) Profit= (PS)*(0.50) PS= $300*300000 ($20000*(300) +$80000*(300)) =$60.000.000 Total profit for barracuda = (PS-C)*(0.25) + PS*(0.50) +PS*(0.25) =$66.000.000 * 0.25+$60.000.000 * 0.50+$60.000.000 * 0.25 =$61.500.000 Total Profit for the System= Total profit for cheetah+ Total profit for barracuda -Fixed Cost = 44.500.000+$61.500.000- $40.000.000 = $66.000.000 Optimistic Capacity Scenario (Capacity for Cheetah 450000 and Barracuda is 250000) Demand for Cheetah in Pessimistic Scenario (0.25) Profit= (PS-C)*(0.25) PS= $400*150000 ($30000*(150) +$80000*(150)) =$43.500.000 C= $30000*(300) + $80000(50) (The spare capacity cost is shared in Cheetah and Barracuda) =$13.000.000 Profit= $30.500.000 * 0.25 Demand for Cheetah in Expected Scenario (0.50) Profit= (PS-C)*(0.50) PS= $400*300000 ($30000*(300) +$80000*(300)) =$87.000.000 C= $30000*(150) (The spare capacity cost 450-300=150) =$4.500.000 Profit= $82.500.000 * 0.50 Demand for Cheetah in Optimistic Scenario (0.25) Profit= (PS)*(0.50) PS= $400*450000 ($30000*(450) +$80000*(450)) =$142.500.000 Total profit for cheetah = (PS-C)*(0.25) + (PS-C)*(0.50) +PS*(0.25) =$30.500.000 * 0.25+$82.500.000 * 0.50+$142.500.000 * 0.25 =$84.500.000 Demand for Barracuda in Pessimistic Scenario (0.25) Profit= (PS-C)*(0.25) PS= $300*250000 ($20000*(250) +$80000*(250)) =$50.000.000 C= $80000(50) (The spare capacity cost is shared in Cheetah and Barracuda) =$4.000.000 Profit= $46.000.000 * 0.25 Demand for Barracuda in Expected Scenario (0.50) Profit= (PS)*(0.50) PS= $300*250000 ($20000*(250) +$80000*(250)) =$50.000.000 Demand for Barracuda in Optimistic Scenario (0.25) Profit= (PS)*(0.50) PS= $300*250000 ($20000*(250) +$80000*(250)) =$50.000.000 Total profit for barracuda = (PS-C)*(0.25) + PS*(0.50) +PS*(0.25) =$46.000.000 * 0.25+$50.000.000 * 0.50+$50.000.000 * 0.25 =$49.000.000 Total Profit For The System= Total profit for cheetah+ Total profit for barracuda -Fixed Cost = 84.500.000+$49.000.000- $40.000.000 = $93.500.000 Therefore according to the capacity scenarios profits are formed; Total Profit for Cheetah Total Profit for Barracuda Pessimistic Capacity Scenario $44.500.000 $61.500.000 Expected Capacity Scenario $74.000.000 $56.375.000 Optimistic Capacity Scenario $84.500.000 $49.000.000 Question 5: Interpret your recommended capacity portfolio in intuitive terms: in what sense does your capacity configuration prepare you to hedging and why is your plan to be preferred? Answer: Newsvendor: The newsvendor (or newsboy) model is a mathematical model in operations management and applied economics used to determine optimal inventory levels. It is (typically) characterized by fixed prices and uncertain demand. If the inventory level is q, each unit of demand above q is lost. This model is also known as the Newsvendor Problem or Newsboy Problem. In the case of Seagate Technologies, let K1 is the capacity for The Cheetah and K2 is the capacity for The Barracuda, K3 is the capacity of for The Final Test and D is the demand for each product family. The sales plan is 300 thousand units of The Barracuda and an equal amount of The Cheetah i.e. the sales plan corresponds to a demand vector (in thousands) D = (300, 300). The associated capacity investment vector for the three resources that makes this sales plan feasible is Kb = (300, 300, 600). The capacity portfolio Kb is balanced in the sense that all three resources are fully utilized at the sales plan. Capacity balance means that K1 + K2 = K3. Another capacity plan that may show up in practice is a plan that minimizes lost sales. In some settings, marketing managers may state that a customer lost once is lost forever and advocate ample capacity to prevent that. We refer to such plan as a total coverage capacity plan Kc. Obviously, a centralized, expected profit maximizing planner with knowledge of the probabilistic demand forecast can do better. Maximization of expected profit leads to increasing the investment in resources with high marginal return compared to marginal investment costs. This generalized typical newsvendor logic works in a coupled, multi-dimensional setting and show the risk-neutral or newsvendor network solution in Seagate case to be K* = (350, 35

The Health Benefits of Exercise Essay -- Healthy Lifestyle Essay

Exercise is one of the most important factors in a persons’ life. Physical activity, or the lack of it, can result in a person having a healthy life or cause them to have diabetes. The benefits of exercise are countless. The positive health results, the improvement in attitude, even better academic performance are all factors which make not exercising inexcusable. Merely not using a person’s body is harmful. Not being active results in a person’s muscles becoming weak and out of condition. The effectiveness of a person’s heart and lungs will decrease. A person’s joints will become stiff and can be injured easily. Inactivity can be as much of a health risk as smoking. In addition children have become extremely lazy with all the entertainment available in this day and age. Most Americans watch three and a half hours of television every day. By the age of sixty five over nine years will have been spent in front of a screen. Over one-third children from ages four to nineteen eat fast food every day and fifteen percent in that age set are obese. It is especially important to prevent children and adolescences from becoming obese. According to â€Å"Obesity and Overweight for Professionals: Data and Statistics† eighty percent of obese children become obese adults. The number of overweight children in America has dou bled since the 1980s. People have begun resorting to unsuccessful diets and each day thousands of teens become bulimic or anorexic to lose weight. Thirty four to thirty seven percent of adults in America are obese. This has increased dramatically in the past twenty years (â€Å"Obesity†). The simple answer to this problem is to start exercising. The U.S. Department of Health and Human services says that children and teens need a... ...ical Activity for Families and Children." National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. . Llewellyn, Claire. Exercise. London: QED, 2006. Print. â€Å"Mayo Clinic.† Web. 27 Apr. 2011. . "Obesity and Overweight for Professionals: Data and Statistics | DNPAO | CDC." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. . Payment, Simone. What Happens to Your Body When You Run. New York, NY: Rosen Central, 2010. Print. The World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago: World Book, 2001. Print. "What Is Basal Metabolic Rate?" Personal Trainer Cindy Brotherston for Fitness, Weight Loss and Nutrition. Web. 24 Apr. 2011. .