Saturday, August 22, 2020

Music in My Life Persuasive Essay Example For Students

Music in My Life Persuasive Essay Music has been a tremendous piece of my life for a long time, since the time I concluded that I needed to play guitar my first year of secondary school. My companion said he would show me how to play, however he disclosed to me that I ought to tune in to loads of music first. I burrowed through my parents’ CD assortment and pulled out a Green Day collection titled â€Å"American Idiot. † That is the point at which my outrageous love for music was conceived. We never truly began with the guitar exercises, I still haven’t figured out how to play guitar, yet now I am enthusiastic pretty much all music. Each melody is excellent in its own particular manner, since it is a declaration of human feeling. I used to take piano exercises for two or three years, yet I needed to stop since life was occupied, it despite everything is. I can play a couple of good melodies on piano, yet I never truly turned out to be acceptable at playing like my sibling. My sibling is an incredible piano player. I began to show myself guitar toward the start of my senior year in secondary school, however as I said my life has been very frenzied, and I am bad at rehearsing consistently. I joined ensemble toward the start of my senior year also, and that has been one of the most astonishing encounters I have ever experienced. The tunes we sing in ensemble are on the whole extremely wonderful, and something pretty much the entirety of the great, capable voices in the room singing as one sends chills down my spine. I am not very acceptable at understanding music and singing the note directly from the sheet music, be that as it may. I have to hear the notes played on piano to sing it effectively. It additionally takes me some time to peruse the notes and name which note they are and what key the music piece is in. In spite of the fact that I am not very acceptable at understanding music, I am truly adept at tuning in to it. Of course, who isn’t? I appreciate tuning in to a wide range of sorts of music. Music like funk rock gets me into that kind of state of mind where I simply feel better. It’s not a sentiment of bliss, however progressively like a sentiment of having fun at that point. Underground rock can cause me to feel kind of siphoned up and good to go. Old style rock is a music classification that I like to tune in to when I am cheerful, and it keeps me feeling glad as I hear it out. Non mainstream rock for the most part gives me a sentiment of bliss too, yet it’s likewise inspirational to me. It causes me to feel like I can take on the world and defeat my future difficulties. I love tuning in to various sorts of music, since they influence my state of mind from numerous points of view. In some cases they can assist me with feeling much improved and here and there they help me think. This is one of the melodic ideas that I am exceptionally intrigued by. The way that music influences our brains is so amazing to me. I need to figure out how and why music does this. I am taking this course since I need to gain proficiency with the nuts and bolts of music so I can figure out how to play and sing better than I am currently. I need to retain the notes by heart and by ear so I will have a simpler time attempting to sing or play an instrument. I likewise need to gain proficiency with the numerous harmonies, and realize which harmony or harmony mixes will sound great together and make a specific inclination. I have just barely scratched the outside of music now, however I want to learn considerably more about music later on. This class is the initial step to the progression into the field of music.

Friday, August 21, 2020

So what are you majoring in

“So what are you majoring in” A lot of different people have been asking me about my prospective major. And for these gracious inquirers, I have a lot of different answers. For instance: “I’m thinking 18C.” “Leaning towards 8.” “Probably 6-3.” “17 and something else?” *loud sigh* *spontaneous combustion* “Course 3 seems pretty cool.” I guess for most people, it’s not such a hard question. This place certainly has no shortage of learned-calculus-by-second-grade math majors, kids who’ve competed in national olympiads, freshmen and sophomores already taking grad classes. Friends who spend their leisure time reading biology or neuroscience research. More generally, people who know exactly what they’re doing. :’’) Not me. I entered MIT with the vague notion that I would study computer science. Maybe I would even double major, if I was successful enough at the former. I would get a UROP at the Media Lab, help build some software to make people’s lives better, and feel just peachy about my life choices. Several months later, I definitely still want to help people, but I’m not finding it all quite as simple. I signed up for 6.01 in my first semester and went to a few lectures and labs. I didn’t think the material seemed personally appealing, but I hadn’t heard entirely positive reviews about that class anyway, so I figured I would suck it up and power through for the purpose of a prospective 6-3 diploma. My initial attitude was something like, you got this, Michelle. You were Good at Things in high school, remember? You won stuff? Got straight As? Weren’t intimidated by the apparently superior 6.01 abilities of everyone around you? …Yeah? After taking what I felt was a lot more time than I should to complete the first Python psets, I sheepishly asked permission from my advisor to drop the class and take 18.02 instead. I started having thoughts to the effect of “everyone else is already so ahead of me, so maybe I should just study something different.” I’ve since been informed that that’s a misguided conclusion to make, and I like to think that I have a much better attitude now. Regardless, I had opened Pandora’s box of indecisive musings… of “wait a second, there are actually so many majors that I could be more suited for and so many I haven’t considered and I could be any of them and oh my god what the everloving egg am I going to study (!!!?!?!?).” After several months of reading/musing on the topic, I’ve gotten a bit closer to an answer, but the same sort of sentiment still stands. A photo of me from sometime in the Fall. Ever heard of CourseRoad? It’s this beautiful little web site (actually started by blogger Danny B.D.!) that lets you lay out your class schedule years in advance and feed any obsession you might have with your lack of a decided major. My first courseroad wasn’t very creative: My second was a little bit more so: And the 15 or 20 that followed took me all sorts of random places, all of which I seriously considered for at least the time I was making them. It was kind of like I was “trying on” all these different life paths to get a more solid picture of where each of them could take me. A cool artsy Course 4, perhaps? Not really up for all-nighters in studio. Linguistics major? Other research areas excited me more. I had this 21W phase in which I would become an esteemed science journalist and convert disinterested laypeople into STEM enthusiasts, but I figured I write way too slowly and informally to seriously pursue that idea. Chemical Engineering was too rigid and technical, while CMS wasn’t technical enough. At least I’d narrowed it down. Although I still haven’t reached any kind of conclusion about my major, I think I’ve since developed a better idea of my overarching goals. Like I mentioned, I want to help people, and the gist of what I would optimally do is to convert the privilege of a premiere education into the benefit of those less fortunate. What I mean by this “privilege,” more specifically, is that an MIT education affords me opportunities to affect my surroundings in ways I otherwise would have no power to do. That’s what engineers do, right? They fix perceived problems in the world, and I’ve been granted the authority to say “well, this is a problem that deserves attention” and tap into bountiful resources to find a solution. Then “those less fortunate,” loosely, means anyone whose problems don’t seem to be important enough to others to merit that kind of attention. In a moment of grave seriousness, I’ll say it has everything to do with economic inequalities and social hierarchies. It’s a lot of “make the lives of the wealthy more comfortable, since they have money to give in exchange.” It’s dehumanizing subsets of people to the point where you can’t empathize with the difficulties they face, and I think it’s very not okay. I’m trying to be open-minded about courses of study that could potentially fall in line with this philosophy. I’m naturally not very interested in making a fortune with startups, but I’m not necessarily looking to work on third-world water purification, either. I initially thought about joining the Media Lab to help people live with Autism Spectrum Disorders an idea which is still being tossed around. I like stuff involving education for kids, public policy, and using media to effectively propagate ideas. But I’m also more recently considering options to look at these kinds of problems on a larger, more grandiose scale that could lead to grad school and research. Hence 18/18C, 17, 14, and possibly even 8 (Math, Political Science, Economics, and Physics for you guys not hip with the language). I’m getting interested in studying how social organizations and hierarchies arise in the first place, in potentially a technical way. The common existence of hierarchies across every world society suggests that there are principles to govern their propagation, but the fact that some societies have become more “progressive” than others suggests that there are principles to facilitate their dissolution. At the same time, I’ve been trying to acquaint myself with techniques that computer scientists use to model interconnected systems, specifically in computational social or political science. And the personal appeal of mathematics well, I’m not about to lock myself in a hut in the woods and derive theorems for the beauty of it, but I recognize math as a tool to be used in describing quite literally everything, depending on your personal philosophy about the nature of the universe and all that. I’m considering Econ because of the specific flavor of problems that arise from free-enough markets, and for the prospect of figuring out how to solve these without causing even more problems than before. Physics (unfocused option) because although a bit tangential I feel like it’s the most core perspective on how systems can behave under sets of natural laws, and could give valuable insights on how to go forth and study a range of different subjects. Plus, you know, I really like what I know of physics. I’d want to know more, if I can handle it. Then there are the random engineering disciplines for which it’s pretty obvious why they can benefit the world (of which Materials Science is the one I’ve most heavily considered). A lot of these engineers are saving lives on the daily or are otherwise doing amazing things. While I tend to doubt that the process of designing and building is what I’m good at, I would be a very happy person if I were able to make that kind of positive difference. So what am I going to end up actually declaring? The answer is that I currently have no idea, and that you should ask me that again in a few weeks when I have to declare, and then again in a year, because the two answers might well be different. The thing I find most comforting through all of this is that in talking to a range of people, almost everyone seems to have something generally positive to say about their major. Faces light up when you ask about UROPs, and if you’re lucky, you might get the passionate ramblings that end with “sorry, I’m rambling, I’m just really excited about so-and-so.” Don’t be sorry! It’s adorable. And your enthusiasm is great. P.S. I wanted to clarify that I don’t mean to say it’s an objectively superior ideal to study something that overtly benefits others. Why? Because “altruism” is, in my opinion, just the result of people doing things that make themselves feel better, and therefore would logically be no more “noble” than a person studying something that makes them equally satisfied. Fulfilling my goals would make me nothing more than personally happy just why anyone does anything, right? The point of all of this. Hopefully, I might learn a thing or two in the process.

Monday, May 25, 2020

Ethical Issues Raised By Bp - 1237 Words

Introduction Despite decades of efforts to seek for alternative energy sources, fossil oil is still the single most important energy source for human being. However, oil industry brings about many ethical issues such as safety and environmental impact. In this ethics report, we will study one of the world’s leading international oil company – BP, who operates in nearly 80 countries . We will particularly discuss ethical issues raised by BP in oil industry in the United States (US) between 2002 and 2006. The three ethical issues which are going to be discussed are (1) safety issue in workplace depicted by the Texas City explosion in 2005, (2) honesty and fair dealing depicted by both Texas City explosion and Prudhoe Bay A-22 explosion in†¦show more content†¦2. Fluid level indicator in the splitter tower was not calibrated. The indicator showed that the flammable fluid in the splitter tower was at 8.4 feet and the level was still dropping, while in the actual situation the f luid continued to rise to 130 feet . 3. Undersized blowdown drum (a unit to collect overflowed fluid) could not accommodate the overflowing fluid. Eventually, the flammable gasoline spilled to the ground. An ignition source nearby caused the explosion. 4. Undermanned crew as many experienced workers were fired led to only a junior control board operator running three separate units on the accident day . All these three root causes can be attributed to the unscrupulous cost reduction where safety of the employees had been severely compromised. This is clearly an ethical issue. In a press release by US Chemical Safety Board (CSB), it is stated that CSB concluded â€Å"organizational and safety deficiencies at all levels of the BP Corporation had caused the Texas City explosion . Despite repeatedly warning about the risk, BP chose to ignore it and put profit in higher priority than safety . The Texas City explosion could have been avoided with proper maintenance program and sufficient manpower. Honesty and Fair Dealing – Texas City Explosion 2005 Prudhoe Bay A-22 Explosion 2002 After the Texas City explosion, BP fired six employees and put the blames on them. It was argued that the explosion wouldn’t have happened if the six employees did

Thursday, May 14, 2020

Similarities and Differences between Reggio Emilia and...

There are many different curriculums that are used in early childhood classrooms. Two curriculums that are used are High Scope and Reggio Emilia. Both of these curriculums have unique aspects that make up their curriculums. In addition, High Scope and Reggio Emilia have similarities and differences. In Ypsilanti, Michigan Dr. David P. Weikard created High Scope in 1970. High Scope does research in a variety of areas. However, they are best known for their research in preschool education and their preschool curriculum approach. High Scope preschool curriculum is used throughout the world and has had an impact on Head Start programs (Morrison, 1976, p. 15). High Scope promotes the developmental domains in their Key Developmental†¦show more content†¦The High Scope curriculum incorporates diversity in its approach. High Scope incorporates diversity through developmentally appropriate approaches, which allow the children to progress at their own rate through the use of learning centers. According to Morrison, High Scope does not focus on the child’s deficits, but instead focuses on social, cognitive, and physical abilities, which are important for every child especially ones with special needs. Teachers in the High Scope approach will identify the developmental level of a special needs child. Then the teachers will provide different experiences that are appropriate for a normal child at their developmental age. For example, if a special needs child is four years old but is developmentally at a two year old level then, the child would use gestures and point with the fingers to express their plans. The teacher would th en immerse the child in activities that provide opportunities to hearing and using language (Morrison, 1976, p. 19-20). High Scope shows multi-cultural respect in their classroom by incorporating materials and experiences that reflect the diversity in the children. In addition, the teachers will help each diverse family to find community services that would be helpful to the family’s individual needs (The High/Scope Preschool Educational Approach: A Prospectus for Pre-Kindergarten Programs, n.d.). InShow MoreRelated Teaching2569 Words   |  11 Pagesâ€Å"positive relationships†. Bruce (2008) resonates with the National strategies (2009) notion that positive relationships are extremely important within the EYFS, High Scope and Reggio Emilia in order to help children reach their full potential. Allen and Whalley (2009) adopt Bruce’s (2008) notion that positive relationships should be built between the children, families and other practitioners in order to create a successful and stimulating environment. It is important for practitioners to talk appropriatelyRead Moredone Unit 064 Context and Principles fo4917 Words   |  20 Pagessome differences in between the way the government of every nation deals with early learning education, there are also some common features: * Partnership and involvement with parents; * Learning through active play; * Need for children to have opportunities for child-initiated and adult-directed activities; * Education programme is to be delivered holistically although divided into areas of learning; * Importance of assessing children’s individual needs. As another difference in between

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Menards E-Business Plan - 3782 Words

Fundamentals of e-Business Menards e-Business Plan Company Description Menards is a chain of home improvement stores in the Midwestern United States. Menards sells building materials, hardware, electrical, wall coverings, plumbing, housewares, floor coverings, cabinets, appliances and much more. Menards is a privately held franchise headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin; the company has 252 stores in 12 states: Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota and Wyoming. While the company does not release sales figures, it is believed to be the third largest home center chain in the United States behind The Home Depot and Lowes. The trade publication Home Channel News†¦show more content†¦The two most common reasons customers ask for assistance are for help locating a product or for additional information about a product. If these encounters are negative they will no doubt have an adverse impact on company image and bottom line. (www.jdpower.com) Opportunities that Menards have are they have been revamping its old stores to better compete with its rivals. The company is increasing its average store size to more than 220,000 square feet. It opened its largest store in Minnesota and is expanding from 30 to 40 stores in this region. This is larger than an average Home Depot store, which has 102,000 square feet of space. The company has also built two new distribution centers (Howell, 2004). Expansion and remodeling initiatives would improve the company’s competitive position in the home improvement market. Another opportunity for Menards is their testing of an online store for three special order categories: kitchen and bath; lighting and fans; and window treatments. According to CNN Money, online retail spending is up 4.7% from last year. Furthermore, in 2010 71% of online users are likely to shop over the internet as compared to 65% in 2005. Total retail sales will be largely influenced by the internet. The company’s online store would boost revenue growth. (Ellis, 2010) Menards main threat is their intense competition. The US home improvement industry is aShow MoreRelatedEssay on Lowes and Information Technology Management1748 Words   |  7 Pagespaper is to evaluate the information technology management systems used at Lowe’s. It will look at Porter’s Five Force Model, supply chain management; data base management system, five agent-based technologies, e-commerce and system development lifecycle. Furthermore, it will look at business continuity planning, emerging trends and security vulnerabilities relates to the organization to remain competitive. Information Systems Remaining Competitive Lowe’s employs more than 260,000 people in more thanRead MoreHome Depot Essay4369 Words   |  18 Pages | | |†¢ Professional Customers: These customers are professional remodelers, general contractors, repairmen, small business | | |owners and tradesmen. | | | Read MoreRNA Interference in Biotechnology and Pharmacetics Essay1200 Words   |  5 Pagescompany, Sanofi. Sanofi plans on using antibodies to target PCSK9 which could lead to an alternative to the commonly used statins drug. Out of the 32 patients in the most recent trial, 24 received a single dose of the RNAi drug. The results showed that the expression of PCSK9 dropped to a staggering average, 70% and a 40% decrease of LDL cholesterol levels. If the PCSK9 inhibition drug deems successful it is still not sure whether the drug will perform well from a business aspect. 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Tuesday, May 5, 2020

The Role of Husbandry in The Health and Well

The Role of Husbandry in The Health and Well-being of Exotic Animals in Captivity According to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, animal husbandry is defined as the physiological, biological, psychological and social needs of animals.1 Every zoo that is AZA accredited needs to fulfill these needs correctly for the species and on a regular basis. In the UK, the ‘five freedoms’ are used to determine proper animal husbandry: freedom from injury and disease; freedom from hunger, thirst, and malnutrition; freedom from thermal or physical distress; freedom to express ‘normal’ behaviors; and freedom from fear.4 Other freedoms have been proposed – freedom from boredom and freedom of animal to exert control over it’s quality of life, to name a few – but the five have remained as structure to determine proper animal husbandry.4 Many different employees are needed to fulfill these needs, from animal keepers to curators to veterinarians. Each aspect of animal husbandry, as described by the AZA, will be briefly addressed. We will write a custom essay on The Role of Husbandry in The Health and Well-being of Exotic Animals in Captivity specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Physiological and biological needs are what the animal needs to do in order for its body to function properly. These needs include, but aren’t limited to, breathing, food, water, sleep, excretion and homeostasis. They are the basics for life, and are required for the animal to keep living. In zoo animals, food is a crucial aspect because each animal has a special diet; sometimes, it’s unknown exactly what that diet is because not enough research has been done on that species. Animal keepers notice a problem with the animal by paying attention to the animal’s behavior. Normally, animals that are sick won’t show until there’s advanced disease because if they show they are sick in the wild, they would be easily caught by predators.3 The altered behavior is different for every species, and animal keepers are crucial in noticing the slight differences in their animals.3 Once there’s a behavior change, keepers can notify veterinarians, which will h opefully diagnose and treat the illness (or possible nutritional deficiency) quickly to ensure the animal’s physiological and biological needs are being met. Psychological needs are met when the animal has a healthy well-being. In recent years, research has been done on zoo animals in the area of recognizing cognitive abilities, emotions and feelings.4 Some people think having these views is subjective, sentimental and anthropomorphic, but it has been shown that when psychological needs aren’t met, stress and boredom predominate, which can lead to illness and death.4 When the public sees behavior that they recognize as stress or boredom, the welfare of zoo animals comes into question. To meet these needs, zoos need to understand the psychological needs of each species and individual. As mentioned previously, each species has a specific diet; how this diet is fed may be important for maintaining the psychological needs of a species because of social learning. Naà ¯ve individuals learn specific skills or knowledge from their parents or other group members; this knowledge can be a tradition of a species, and would help us understand how an animal lives in the wild.5 By providing proper psychological needs, scientists can learn more of how an animal behaves and survives in the wild. In addition to feeding, the set-up of the exhibit can provide psychological needs.4 If an animal were normally shy and nocturnal, it would require several hiding places during the day; if an animal lives alone in the wild on rocky terrain, it should have a solitary enclosure that exhibits similar terrain. Recognizing an animal’s individual personality and conforming to adapt to this personality can also meet psychological needs.2 For example, if an animal is normally very curious, giving them new items or toys in their exhibit encourages their well-being. A healthy well-being that includes proper living conditions, recognizing the animal’s personality and preventing boredom or stress is essential to meet the psychological needs of zoo animals. .u3a2a2ee8054c1f253d74ee5075bfd6b0 , .u3a2a2ee8054c1f253d74ee5075bfd6b0 .postImageUrl , .u3a2a2ee8054c1f253d74ee5075bfd6b0 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u3a2a2ee8054c1f253d74ee5075bfd6b0 , .u3a2a2ee8054c1f253d74ee5075bfd6b0:hover , .u3a2a2ee8054c1f253d74ee5075bfd6b0:visited , .u3a2a2ee8054c1f253d74ee5075bfd6b0:active { border:0!important; } .u3a2a2ee8054c1f253d74ee5075bfd6b0 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u3a2a2ee8054c1f253d74ee5075bfd6b0 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u3a2a2ee8054c1f253d74ee5075bfd6b0:active , .u3a2a2ee8054c1f253d74ee5075bfd6b0:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u3a2a2ee8054c1f253d74ee5075bfd6b0 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u3a2a2ee8054c1f253d74ee5075bfd6b0 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u3a2a2ee8054c1f253d74ee5075bfd6b0 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u3a2a2ee8054c1f253d74ee5075bfd6b0 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u3a2a2ee8054c1f253d74ee5075bfd6b0:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u3a2a2ee8054c1f253d74ee5075bfd6b0 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u3a2a2ee8054c1f253d74ee5075bfd6b0 .u3a2a2ee8054c1f253d74ee5075bfd6b0-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u3a2a2ee8054c1f253d74ee5075bfd6b0:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Essay about ZoologySocial needs are related to psychological needs because some animals normally exist in groups, herd, packs or colonies, and their well-being is determined by the well-being of the entire group.5 Other animals tend to exist singly or in pairs, so by knowing the social hierarchy of an animal, most of the social, and sometimes psychological, needs can be met. As mentioned previously, some animals need other group members to learn specific behaviors; this is also helpful in the zoo setting when training new animals by having them watch the previous residents perform the desired behavior. 5 By watching another group member perform the behavior, the new animal can learn the behavior faster. Animal husbandry is the maintenance of an animal’s physiological, biological, psychological and social needs to promote quality of life. By ensuring animal husbandry, AZA accredited institutions are able to properly promote conservation and education for the public, and learn more about endangered species. Zoos are critical in promoting conservation so that future generations can experience the wonders of animals. Works Cited 1. Association of Zoos and Aquariums . Silver Spring, MD: The Association; c1997-2009 . Health, Husbandry and Welfare . Available from http://www.aza.org/health-husbandry-and-welfare/ 2. Bergmuller R. Animal Personality and Behavioural Syndromes. In: Kappeler P, editor. Animal Behaviour: Evolution and Mechanisms. Germany: Springer, 2010. p. 587-621. 3. Fowler ME. Behavioral Clues for Detection of Illness in Wild Animals: Models in Camelids and Elephants. In: Miller RE, Fowler ME, editors. Fowler’s Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine Current Therapy, volume 6. St Louis: Elsevier; 2008. p. 33-49. 4. Kagan R, Veasey J. Challenges of Zoo Animal Welfare. In: Kleiman DG, Thompson KV, Baer CK, editors. Wild Mammals in Captivity: Principles and Techniques for Zoo Management, 2nd edition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2010. p. 11-21. 5. van Schaik CP. Social Learning and Culture in Animals. In: Kappeler P, editor. Animal Behaviour: Evolution and Mechanisms. Germany: Springer, 2010. p. 623-53.

Monday, April 6, 2020

Virgin Blue Strategic Competitiveness

Table of Contents Introduction Strategic Management and Strategic Competitiveness External Environment Internal Environment Business Level Strategies Conclusion Reference List Introduction Strategy is about achieving competitive advantage. A company can achieve this by being different, delivering a unique value addition to the customer and by having a clear and enact-able view of how to position itself uniquely in the industry. This essay uses Virgin Blue as a case study to find out if it has successfully achieved strategic competitiveness in the Australian airline industry. The I/O and the Returns-based models of above average returns are central in classification of external and internal environment elements.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Virgin Blue Strategic Competitiveness specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Strategic Management and Strategic Competitiveness Strategic management is the systematic analysi s of the external and internal environment to form a basis of re-evaluating the current management practices with the aim of achieving better alignment of corporate policies and strategic priorities. Strategic competitiveness is achievable when a company formulates strategies that give it an edge over its competitors. The strategy formulated should be rare, that current and potential competitors are unable to duplicate because it is costly, and in that way the firm achieves sustainable competitive advantage. The 21st century competitive landscape is rapidly changing because of technology and uncertainty. This means that managers have to adopt new ways of thinking. Managers have to value flexibility, innovation and speed in responding to existing competitors and new entrants to remain in business. These characteristics may have affected the entry and survival of Virgin Blue into the Australian airline industry. In order to enter the market, Virgin Blue had to introduce low cost and t ake measures to keep the costs low and using imaginative tactics of thinking outside the box to remain innovative. External Environment External environment consists of factors outside the control of the firm that affect the ability to meet customer demands and that face the whole industry. These factors based on resource-based model include political, economic, socio-cultural, technological, and legal. They determine the laws to apply in running business, the economic conditions that the firm will have to operate in, the characteristics of the market, and the technology determines the way the product should be (Millmore, 2007). In the case of Virgin Blue, the economic aspect of external environment can be considered to have crucial importance. The rising fuel costs, increasing operating costs, and increasing terminal costs are some of the economic challenges the Virgin Blue faced as it pursued its low cost services strategy. Additionally due to the economic slowdown in 2008, Virgin Blue recorded a loss of $160 for the financial year 2008-2009. This loss must have had a great influence on how the firm was to be run to survive this period until the economic recovery period in 2010 when Virgin reported a profit of $21.3 million.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Internal Environment Internal environment encompasses elements that are specific to a firm and affect its ability to meet customer. Financial resources, organizational resources, physical resources and technological resources are the tangible elements considered to affect the internal environment of a firm in Resource-based model of above average returns. On the other hand, the intangible elements are human resources, innovation resources, and reputational resources (Michael and Hitt, 2010). Virgin Blue being in the service industry depends more on its intangible resources. The friendly crew has b een known to greet passengers as boys and girls, entertain them with rock music on takeoff and landing, make jokes and read horoscopes in-flight. This good customer relation enhances customer loyalty therefore enabling the firm to attract new customers while retaining the current ones. Financially the firm has been able to cut down costs by the improved scheduling system, self check-in kiosk’s, outsourcing of catering, managing catering wastage, maintenance agreements and a fuel efficiency program (Carnal, 2007). Business Level Strategies Business level strategy is the strategy a firm chooses in order to gain competitive advantage in the market or industry it operates. This is critical when a firm operates in an industry with intense competition like the one Virgin Blue operates in. Managers therefore have to formulate a strategy geared towards creating and implementing a strategy that gives it the competitive advantage over the other players in the industry (Christensen, 200 6). There are five business level strategies; cost leadership, focused cost leadership, differentiation and focused differentiation. Firms make a choice whether to be a cost leader which means it will focus on competing for customers based on the pricing while still being able to report more than average returns. Alternatively, a focused cost leader meaning that it will not only compete in terms of price but also will segment it and market its products to a particular market. On the hand, firms have a can differentiate products. Firms choosing just to differentiate by providing unique characteristics and features do so through high quality advanced technological features and customer service. A firm that differentiates and chooses a market segment to provide goods and services uses focused differentiation (Hanson et al. 2011). Virgin Blue evidently from the national point of view has chosen the cost leadership strategy by delivering services that are of acceptable standards to custo mers at a cost considered lowest among the competitors in the Australian market.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Virgin Blue Strategic Competitiveness specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The firm has cut down costs and trimmed unnecessary ones to achieve its strategy. It has done so by paying its staff less than Qantas, all in-flight meals and entertainment are provided at a cost, outsourcing catering, managing catering wastage and using one type of aircraft. A cost leadership strategy helps a firm survive since it is able to remain profitable even in the face of rivalry, new entrants, suppliers’ power, substitute products, and buyers’ power (Bowles, 2011). Conclusion Virgin Blue has successfully achieved strategic competitive in the 8years it has been in the market. It has been able to survive the economic downturn in 2008-2009 and bounce back to reporting profits a year later in 2010 while still ma intaining its cost leadership strategy. Additionally Virgin has introduced competitive moves that include the introduction of a frequent flier program, a member lounge, and strengthening marketing and code sharing alliances with international airlines and by so doing remaining in the market when other airlines like Ansett went under (Beer, 1999). Reference List Beer, M. (1999). Readings in Human Resource Management. New York: Free Press. Bowles, M. (2011) External Environment. The Institute For Working Futures. Web. Available from:  http://www.marcbowles.com/publications.html   . Carnal, C. (2007) Managing Change in Organizations. Essex: Pearson Education. Christensen, R. (2006) Roadmap to Successful Strategic HR Management. New York: American Management Association.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Hanson, D. et al. (2011) Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalisation. Southbank, Victoria: Cengage. Michael A. Hitt, R. D. (2010) Strategic Management: Competitive and Globalization , Concepts. London: Wiley. Millmore, M. (2007) Strategic Human Resource Management: Contemporary Issues. Essex: Pearson Education. This report on Virgin Blue Strategic Competitiveness was written and submitted by user Jayla Rich to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.