Art Research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Art Research paper - Essay Example revolutionized the Western art scene, while Middle-Eastern cultures denounced it as blasphemy. With the advent of Christianity, the nude form was suppressed and it was not until the Renaissance, when artists looked to antiquity for inspiration, that the nude form came in vogue once again. The period between the 15th -17th century saw some of the most renowned works of nudes come into being. Kenneth Clark2 (1956) whose seminal work on the female nude gave way to much animated discussion on this forgotten topic, credits the Renaissance with giving an impetus to this form, saying â€Å"In the greatest age of painting, the nude inspired the greatest work†. The nude female form continues to inspire artists and art lovers to this day and many ground breaking studies reveal the various nuances of female depiction, its metamorphosis over the ages and the reaction it evokes, ranging from awe to a total denial of its worth as a subject. The words nude and naked are often interchanged for each other, but the difference in their meaning is so wide that the word nude invariably evokes the image of a person without clothes but it has an aesthetic ring to it. Naked on the other hand can mean intolerance and a subsequent discarding of clothes or even to a cult of nudists who exhort people to give up clothing. To put forth the idea more clearly, we can use Kenneth Clark’s definition of the terms, where he says â€Å"To be naked is to be deprived of our clothes, and†¦. the embarrassment†¦in that condition. The word nude carries †¦no uncomfortable overtone†¦it projects†¦a balanced, prosperous, and confident body: the body re-formed.† The author has delineated the female nude in conformity with religious, cultural and philosophic tenets of classical and modern Western society. Clark’s theories are the benchmark for any argument for or against the female nude, while John Bergerâ⠂¬â„¢s study of the relation between the work of art and the person

International Business And Organizational Factors Apple Inc Smartphones

International Business And Organizational Factors Apple Inc Smartphones Global marketing is perhaps one of the most significant factors in todays business world since it has made tremendous changes in the way the business is carried out around the world. Globalization and international business have been central to the developments and radical changes in the recent years and it has deeply affected people, management processes, business and economy. A large number of companies went global to utilize marketing opportunities for the realization of their business potential by successfully establishing sustainable competitive advantages and better marketing position where as many firms have failed in their international expansion efforts as they didnt heed the basic tenets ingrained in the critical business environments. In todays increasingly competitive and international free market economy contexts, transnational exchanging of technology, infrastructure and demographic movement have become increasingly important (Johnson and Turner, 2003, p. 1). The ultimate outcome of this growing importance of international business is that a customer, no matter whether he lives in Europe, Asia, Africa or Australia, will be familiar with a large number of world-class brands like Apple, Cadbury, Coca-cola, Dell, Ford, HP, Nestle, Nokia, Toyota and so on. The effect of globalization is that new brands are seemingly born global, For this research paper, Apple Inc- specifically its Smartphone sector- has been chosen to conduct detailed analysis on the literature related to the international business and organizational factors. This research paper presents an analysis on internal and external environment of the chosen organization- Apple Inc and examines its strategies for international marketing in terms of effectiveness and usefulness for its international operation. International Business: The case of Apple Inc Apple inc, founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne in the 1970s is one of the most internationally influential and highly successful companies of today. It is an American multinational company that designs, makes and markets PCs, portable music players, cell phones, software, computer peripheral and services. It markets through its own retailing, online stores and third party sellers (Sander and Slatter, 2009, p. 81, Linzmayer, 2004). Apple was the first mainstream marketer for personal computers and is still an important market player worldwide and it has become a niche player by setting the pace for ease of use, innovative design and customer loyalty. Apples story is that one off-hobby machines that a most talented electronic expert made for himself has eventually become the core of the global marketing of one of the most successful companies of all times (OGrady, 2008, p. 1) Most of high tech companies focused only on a particular line of product whereas Apple made it different that it manufactured personal computer, created an operating system that can run in it and designed various application and software programs that fits it, and more over discovered and established market for digital music players and Smartphone. Apple is not confined in a particular market; instead, it plays significant roles in various high competitive markets like PC, software, operating system, digital music player and Smartphone. With innovative design and product differentiation strategy, it has so far produced a number of various unique products including iMac, iLife, iTunes, iPad, iPod, iPhone and 3G iPhones. Apple is better known for its wise and visionary strategic thinking that has helped it overcome marketing and competitive issues. For instance, when it experienced significant financial loss of around $45 million in 2002, Apples visionary management took effective competitive strategies that could help it stay strong in the market. The strategic thinking of Apples management has always guided it to create a focal point for decision making to help it protect the organization from the ambiguous and uncertain situations (Walker, 2003, p. 4). Apples recent developments -iPhone and 3G iPhone- became some of the most discussed new technology outcomes of the recent generation throughout the world. Its strategies of ease of use, simplicity, efficiency and fun are the major factors that helped it make its Smart phones seem to be different species than that of its competitors (Newsweek, 2007) Tilmann (2010) reported that Apples share in the worldwide PC market is constantly increasing. It has become the fifth largest PC seller in the US market for the first quarter of 2010, shipping 1,398 milion Macs computer machines. Apple is the seventh largest cell phone marketer, holding 2.7% market share in the worldwide cell phone markets, having a 112.2% increase in mobile devise sales. Apple is the third largest Smartphone marketer in the world during the first quarter of 2010. (Gartner, 2010) Apple is going to release its iPhone OS and therefore it is expected that second quarter of 2010 will be a very important one for Apple (Gartner, 2010). Apple is spending huge on RD in order to provide its customers with products and services, made up of latest technology and innovation, with supreme quality and reliability. Carson (2008) reported that more than 500 million subscribers were offered a legitimate iPhone deal in the beginning of 2008, with a target of big gains from its international marketing. The launch of iPhone had thus created a massive global footprint. Apples international marketing of iPhone has been first channeled through SingTel of Singapore, Bharti Airtel of India, Globe Telephones of Philippines and Optus of Australia, adding 100 million potential customers to its brand. International marketing has been highly significant for Apple in recent years. Its global sale of PCs and digital music players have contributed major share of its total revenues. For instance, Apple posted revenue of $9.6 billion and a net quarterly profit of $ 1.6 billion in the first quarter of 2008, showing a gross margin of 34.7% from the 31.2% figure of the year of gross profit. International sales accounted for 45% of its total revenues (OGrady, 2008, 162). International Business Environment of Apple Inc This section of the research paper analyzes micro and macro environments of Apples international business. The SWOT analysis and PESTEL analysis are considered in this section to analyze international business environments both micro and macro levels. SWOT analysis of Apple Inc Analyzing both internal and external environments is vital in strategic planning because it can help management take decisive actions regarding resources allocation, measuring efficiency of operation and evaluating the productivity of employees. SWOT is a very useful technique for analyzing both micro and macro environments of a firm drawing together key strengths and weaknesses as presented internal (micro) analysis and opportunities and threats as presented external (macro) analysis (Beamish and Ashford, 2007, p. 42). Internal Environment: Strengths According to Datamonitors (2010) report, Apples total revenue has been increased to the highest record figure of $ 42,905 million in 2008 from 2007 total revenue of $24,578 million. This growth shows that its annual growth rate is 32.15% which is an outranking performance as compared to many other firms playing in the same market. Apple has very recently reported that its financial performance for the 2010 first quarter has been increased to $15.68 billion (Apple.com). When it comes to its focus on innovation, technology and RD, it is obvious that its focus on RD and its thrive on innovation has been a critical factor behind its success. Its RD spending for 2009 only was accounted to be $1,333 million (Datamonitor, 2010). Apple is highly rewarded for its unique brand success and brand loyalty. Datamonitor (2010) reported that Apples brand image has been im porved to the 20th position in 2009 from the 24th position of 2008 and 35th position of 2007. With a number of unique names, Apples products like iTunes, iLife, iMac, iPad and iPhone are not attributable to any brand other than Apple. This brand image and loyalty remains to be its major strength in its international markets. Internal Analysis: Weaknesses Design and manufacturing defects are major risks that many high tech electronic companies often face from its corporate customers and end users. As Apple is dealing with innovative products and advanced technology, any defects in its products can adversely affect its international business. For instance, Apple faced risks of defects with Ultracompact USB in 2008 causing it to exchange every components for new redesigned adapters (Datamonitor, 2010). Similarly, patent infringement seems to another risk, as common for high tech and Multinationals. In 2007 alone, Apple had to spend huge amount only for defending more than 47 patent infringement cases (Datamonitor, 2010). External Environment: Opportunities When it comes to Apples international business, the main opportunity that it enjoys is its growing market-share Apples Smartphone. It is still expected to grow further in the years to come. Apples Smartphone market has been valued as 15% of the total mobile market of 2009. It is estimated that Apples Smartphone market is likely to account 35% of the worldwide mobile market in 2012. Apart from this, touch screen device has been a trend among customers that in turn will be another opportunity for Apple in its global marketing (Datamonitor, 2010) Apples mobile PC is another species that recently attracted greater number of customers. The market for mobile PCs also is expected to increase in the coming years. Apples mobile PCs sales have been found to be increased by 15% in 2009. Both Smartphone and mobile PCs give greater opportunities for Apple and therefore it can grab the slices of these emerging hot markets by further enhancing quality, diversity, technology, innovation and designs. External Environment: Threats Self reliance for components is always a positive point for a manufacturer especially when it goes global. As far as Apples case is concerned, it is depending on third party components like DRAM, NAND and flat panel displays, that in turn not only bring chances of causing cost disadvantages but also raises issues of liabilities and components defects (Datamonitor, 2010). The competition in the worldwide market for PCs, software, digital music players and cell-phones is extremely rigorous. Apple is playing in such an environment where large multinationals like HP, Dell, Acer, Microsoft, Nokia, Fujitsu, Sony Ericsson are major competitors and going head on head with them is extremely challenging. PEST analysis of Apple Inc A better organization is one, which easily gets accustomed with changing business contexts. Changing business environments can be evaluated and understood only if effective analysis can be carried out. PEST analysis is an invaluable tool for analyzing external (macro) environment of a firm including competitors, suppliers and customers. PEST analysis divides a firms overall environments in to four, political, economic, social and technological (Gregory, 2000, p. 49). Apples external environments are detailed below: Political Environment Shenkar and Luo (2004) emphasized that the political processes faced by an MNE, let it be compliance, evasion, negotiation, cooperation and coalition building, are more difficult and problematic than that in domestic operation. It is mainly because; the number of political constituencies including government, union, political parties and interested groups are multiplied in international business environments (p. 175). As far as Apples case is concerned, its marketing in countries like China, India and other Asian countries are more likely to be affected by any changes in political and government policies can have significant impact on its business. Economic Environment When Apple chooses a specific entry mode to enter in to a country, it has to consider a number of economic and other factors. Economic factors in other countries like financial strength, exchange rate fluctuations, Foreign direct investment and related policies and other economic variables can also have significant influence on Apples international business. The growth of Apples market share in Smartphone and other sectors shows that it has been less affected by the worst financial downturn of the recent years as compared to other firms. Social Environment The significance of social and cultural factors to a firms international business cannot be overestimated. Consumers worldwide tend to become more attracted to Smartphone and touch screen devices. Even though the general social factors are positive for Apples Smartphone market in other countries, various other social factors like attitude towards foreign products, cultural entities and social values can up to an extent create challenges on its business (Shenkar and Luo, 2004, p. 150). Technological Environment Apples relentless focus on technology and innovation is its major strength that helps it gain better competitive advantages. Apples technology is its another positive factor because people worldwide tends to embrace latest technology quicker. Apple is introducing its 4G iPhone which is now expected to gain good sales across other countries as well. International Strategies of Apple Inc This part of the research paper relates to the major international business strategies of Apple inc. Apple strategies Innovative product design, Brand loyalty, Own store strategy and education sales are detailed below. Its strategies like complete solution and Product differentiation are intentionally omitted because, the specified sector for the research is Apples Smartphone sector. Innovative Design strategy Apples products like iPod and iPhone became widely known for its excellence in innovative product design and development. Apple was not a technology follower until 1990s. Steve Jobs realized that technology creation is critical to stay for long in a market and thence he made significant changes of Apples products lines after 1997 (Betz, 2002, p. 194- 195). This is how Apple has eventually become a technology creator and now created success stories of iPhone throughout its worldwide markets. When companies like HP and other players in hardware and software markets focused on lower costs and high volume sales, Apple focused on technology and product differentiation (Hoskisson, Hitt and Irelandl, 2008, p. 133). Apples international business is committed to bring high quality mobile communication, digital music players and video experience to its worldwide customers. Its business strategy is its effort to design and develop its own hardware products like iPhone with its own software, ease of use and innovative design being its major features (Apple Annual Report, 2009). Brand Loyalty Strategy Apple brand is one of the strongest in todays international market. A number of products like iPad, iPhone, iMac, iLife, iTunes and iDvd are clearly positioned in customers mind with Apple brand. Its strategy to design and develop innovative products have been closely related with its digital hub and thus to have gained a unique successful brand position among its customers. Apples brand personality is created with an emphasis on emotion, touching customers lifestyle, imagination, innovation, dream and aspiration (marketingminds.com). Apples brand is likely to change the lifestyle the people listen music, use mobile for communication and music needs etc (Cuneo, 2003). According to Keates and Clarkson (2003) Apples strong brand image and its loyalty only were the factors that saved Apple from being fully wiped out form the market when its managerial mistakes caused it to be closer to be bankrupted in 1990s (p. 43). When it comes to the brand positioning, Apple gains 50%. ADWEEKs (2009) study concluded that some customers are found that they couldnt live without Apples brand as it is highly inspiring to them. Readers brand choice was 50% Apple, 26% Google and 4% Starbucks (Brand of the Decade, 2009). Apples own store strategy Apple has been creating its own stores for the international marketing of its products including its Smartphone. Apart from online selling and third part sales force, Apple has used own store as a strategy for enhancing better distribution and by facilitating its customers enjoy music and other products and services. Its own stores are friendly places where customers have easy access to play and experience new technologies (insidecrm.com). Apple opened 34 its own stores in 2005 for a total of 135 and dramatically its international business by opening stores in Canada, three stores in UK and in Japan as well (OGrady, 2008, p. 129). Its own store strategy helps it gain more customers, attract them towards its products and technologies, provide better direct services and collect more accurate information from its customers. Education Sales Apples another strategy for its international business was education sale by focusing on selling its products and services to schools and universities and thus to spread its technology to the new generations. Students by seeing Apple products at schools or colleges become highly attracted to using or owning one for them and this is how Apple has been using education sale strategy for its marketing (insidecrm.com). Effectiveness of Apples Strategies This section of the research paper uses Porters generic Strategy (given in the appendix) to determine the effectiveness and success of Apples international business, mainly focusing its Smartphone market. The attractiveness of the firm and its position in industry are major factors that determine effectiveness. Apples case shows that it has been able to boost its market share for Smartphone in recent years. According to Porters generic strategy, cost advantage and differentiation are two major factors that determine strength of a firm. Apple has remained far positive with its market shares and larger number of shipping, and when considering Smartphone market, the market share was highly impressive. Apples RD is its main power that is a critical factor behind its differentiation; innovative design and technology focus strategies as well. Apart from its differentiation strategy, the major points to look at are 1) brand loyalty and 2) its iPhone buzz across the world. These both are major success factors of Apple Inc. Brand loyalty remains to be a strong advantage because it can help the company stay very strong in its international market. Similarly, the iPhone buzz throughout the world also has been a success factor that shows how far Apple has been gaining the international business and competitive advantages. Evaluative Conclusion and Recommendations Apart from the above-discussed Apples strategies, this part of the research paper recommends Customization facility and direct marketing as other two important strategies for Apple. Customers are different in tastes, requirements and lifestyles. They require different products at different features. A customer may require an iPhone with camera facility whereas the other may require it with additional inbuilt memory to store more songs. It goes like it. By facilitating customization, customers will be able to access Apple website, design their own products, select features for it, add specifications and finally order the goods. It will not only help increase the number of its customers, but also add more customer loyalty and satisfaction as well. Secondly, I would recommend that Direct marketing, by directly selling its products to the international customer, will be helpful to reduce middlemen costs and extra inventory handling too. It will help the company to make its products ultimately cheaper to the customers This research paper has highlighted the literature related to the Apples international business, mainly regarding it Smartphone sector. The paper has presented detailed analysis on the micro and macro analysis of Apples international business environment by using appropriate tools of SWOT and PEST analysis. The international business strategies of Apple are detailed in this paper, drawing the effectiveness of its strategies and operation.

Revolutionary Causes - USA Essay -- essays research papers

A number of issues raised tensions between the colonies and Great Britain. The already tense atmosphere was pushed even further with a number of taxes, acts and proclamations passed by Britain. These numerous acts usually dealt with taxes and other issues that came into conflict with the independent nature of the American colonists. No one issue was solely responsible for the eventual American Revolution. Though all of these added together raised the resentment to a boiling point and all contributed to the revolution. The harsh frontier life led to the independent and often stubborn nature of the American Colonists. This development of this unique colonial personality conflicted drastically with the norms of the British Empire. This cultural personality also led to the passionately independent and democratic political leanings of the young colonies. The end of the French Indian War left bitter tensions amongst the Native American tribes, Britain and the colonists. The Native tribes were understandably upset with the outcome of the French Indian War. The French had treated the natives fairly and in general, honestly as well. Furthermore they accepted and often adopted the dress or culture of the Natives. This was in contrast to the crooked dealings, corruption and arrogance the Native Americans encountered with the British. The British even denied the very humanity of the American Indian and were contemptuous of the Native culture. After the French were defeated the British continued to treat the Natives unfairly. The Natives were further angered when they were informed that there were now expected to be loyal subjects of a foreign king. With the French gone, even more colonist trickled into Indian lands. The colonists saw the land as a war prize and were eager to expand their settlements. More forts were consequently built to pr otect and regulate the frontier. The Native tribes were alarmed with the British domination and saw their land and culture slipping away. This tension amongst the tribes led to a resurgence of Native culture. A movement embracing the fundamentals of Native traditions that rejected the western culture gained ground. Pontiac, a chief and great orator used his influence to build alliance and untied fellow tribes against the British. The Native Americans launched a bloody war, conquering at least eight British forts. This conflict was ca... ...sidences. These acts were seen as a great intrusion to the colonists. They resented the invasiveness of the acts as well as the financial burdens. This issue was even mentioned in the Declaration of Independence as a point of contention and oppression. New York led the resistance to the Quartering acts. As the British commander?s headquarters, the New York colony argued it carried an unfair portion of the financial burden. The colony initially protested and limited the services and goods it was willing to provide. The defiance increased until December of 1766 when New York refused to honor any of the Quartering Acts. Predictably Britain retaliated. The issue was eventually settled though not to any side?s full satisfaction.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  British and colonial relations were never perfect and they seriously and quickly deteriorated in the years after 1763. In the Declaration of Independence the colonists pointed to issues such as the quartering of troops and unrepresented taxation among the key issues leading to the declaration. All of these issues as well as the very nature and personality of the American colonists resulted in the eventual war with Great Britain.

Need for Survival Essay

The first topic I will be talking about is your need for physical survival. There is the need for food and water you will need shelter and some other odds and ends. You will need food first of all you will need to find a place that produces a sufficient amount of food such as a vegetable patch or a shop or a farm. In the book tomorrow when the war began they went to one of the houses that had a good well running vegetable patch and they choose good fruit and vegetables that would last for a good and long period of time. Also during the story they ended up using the shearers quarters to hide from the army people this was also done to get out of the weather. They had many water supplies they had the water in hell the opened out dam the water in the bottles. In the episode of man vs wild he found a snake in by the creek and he caught it and he bit just behind the jaw line and it killed the snake instantly he saved the snake until later when he had set up his shelter and fire he found a shelter in an old cave he set up his fire and he then sat the snake on it until it cooked properly while the snake was cooking he went of and found a hole in which had dirty water in the bottom he used his shirt some charcoal and some rocks and dirt to act as a strainer and clean the water he had to repeat this a couple of times until the water was drinkable and that is how. I am going to summarise the basic survival skills that were used in man versed wild an there is more to survival than the physical survival skills there are mental and tactical survival skills which I will be talking about next. There is more to survival than physical survival there is mental survival which is what I will be talking about now.

Big Time Toymaker V. Chou Essay

1. At what point, if ever, did the parties have a contract? I believe that there were two contracts made in this scenario. The first one was the verbal contract that sated that the stipulations of price and the fact that there needed to be a written contract before distributing the product. The email, since it was in writing can also count as a written contract; both parties had knowledge that there would be some sort of written agreement. Chou was in the right to think that the email stating the key terms and agreements counts as a contract. 2. What facts may weigh in favor of or against Chou in terms of the parties’ objective intent to contract? The facts that Chou was in a verbal agreement with BTT will be helpful in proving that they had a preliminary agreement pending a written one. The fact that an email was sent to him with all the key terms, price, time frames and obligations is also helpful in proving that Chou had a valid agreement with BTT. I believe that that email would count as a binding contract since both parties had a promise pending performances. This was a mutual assessment in which there was an offer by BTT and an acceptance by Chou. 3. Does the fact that the parties were communicating by e-mail have any impact on your analysis in Questions 1 and 2 (above)? In a way it does because when I think of an agreement I think of it as a written and signed agreement by both parties. However BTT did not specify in what kind of writing this contract needed to be. They did not specify if there was need to sign, notified or have witnesses for the contract. Email communication between two people describing the key terms of a contract and having both of them acknowledge the key terms to me serves a contract. While there was no signature, it had both parties’ names on it, it could be said that it was an E-signature. Also we have to keep in mind that the terms were also discussed verbally prior to the email being sent. 4. What role does the statute of frauds play in this contract? I believe that this email communication meets the statute of frauds and the fact that it had the named of the people in business counts as a contract. There have been cases were the name at the end of an email counts as a signature, example Stevens v. Publicis, were the publicis won because the name of both parties were in the written emails. In this case both parties names are on the emails and that signaled both parties intent to do business. 5. Could BTT avoid this contract under the doctrine of mistake? Explain. Would either party have any other defenses that would allow the contract to be avoided? I think that BTT might have a chance to void the contract under the doctrine of mistake because they can claim that Chou misunderstood the fact that the emails meant that he was able to go ahead and distribute the product, making it a bi ding contract. However it was clear that the email stated the facts of the contract and BTT did not specify that Chou should in fact continue to draft the contract for both parties to sign. I think that BTT would have a hard time voiding the contract under the doctrine of mistake. I think that fact there was no specification to how the contract would be written leaves a lot of vague results. BTT should have been more specific in their emails saying that Chou should still have to draft a contract agreement and that the email was not enough for the contract. In this scenario BTT would have a ch ance at voiding the contract. 6. Assuming, arguendo, that this e-mail does constitute an agreement, what consideration supports this agreement? The fact that BTT promised distribution rights to Chou pending an agreement counts as consideration. In this case, something of value was put on the line by both parties, entering them into an agreement to exchange mutual performances. In this case there was also a value that we can determine, and that was $25,000 paid to Chou in exchange for exclusive negotiation rights. I think that consideration was present in this agreement, making a valid contract. At the end of the scenario, BTT states that it is not interested in distributing Chou’s new strategy game, Strat. Assuming BTT and Chou have a contract, and BTT has breached the contract by not distributing the game, discuss what remedies might or might not apply. In this scenario the remedies that would apply would be, compensatory damages because in this case Chou suffered a loss of potential profits that he would have made by his new game. It would also repay him as if BTT had not breached the contract. I think that if he could not claim compensatory damages then he would also be able to claim consequential damages because it states that it compensates the non-breaching party for foreseeable indirect loses. It also states that it involves a unique circumstance beyond the contract. In this case the contract BTT made was taken over by someone else who at the end did not want to do business with Chou. Restitution and Liquidated damages do not applied to this because there was no unjust enrichment by BTT due to the breach of contract. BTT and Chou did not agree to any damages ahead of time there fore liquidated damages does not apply.