Picking up the Lego pieces - Lego's turnaround or not Essay

Picking up the Lego pieces - Lego's turnaround or not - Essay Example The result was a disaster. Lego adopted the diversification strategy of expanding its market to include girls and older boys and selling new and unrelated products like clothes, watches, video games and theme parks to these new markets. Like other companies that went beyond their core competence – in Lego’s case, making toys for 5-9 year-old boys – Lego failed miserably and lost money because market share spiraled downwards as it sold lesser products to lesser customers and incurred higher costs. The CEO hired in 2004, Jorgen Vig Knudstorp, changed the corporate strategy to one of focus and product differentiation. While Lego continued to expand its market to include older age groups, differentiation is not the same as diversification, and in this sense the Economist article was not entirely correct when it claimed â€Å"bits of the diversification strategy remained.† Lego continued to offer the same focused brand of â€Å"play for all† experience – Lego comes from the Danish leg godt which means â€Å"play well† – to a larger market and aligned the rest of the company to be profitably right-sized for it. Lego’s next steps delivered positive results and showed it could â€Å"diversify† into computer based games for an older age group, staying focused and pragmatic while building on its traditional brick-based products (Watts). Its blockbuster Bionicle and Mindstorm product lines led to profitable product extensions like Star Wars and Harry Potter, capitalizing on film tie-ins, and extended market reach to more countries, especially to emerging China and Japan, acknowledged to be Lego’s top market in Asia for construction category toys (McGinn; Lego Website). Cheaper products made in Asia and sold by Tyco under the Super Block brand eroded Lego’s market share in the 1980s. While Lego enjoys first mover advantage and continues to be number one in the construction category toy market, competitors are fighting a marketing war

Choose a current trend and explain your opinion about it. The trend Essay

Choose a current trend and explain your opinion about it. The trend can be of any category, and your opinion should be clearly - Essay Example The accessibility of online dating sites are masking more sensitive issues in the society, and thus, restrictions in the member's age, purpose of signing in, and advertisements posted through a reviewed dating site rules and possibly, government intervention. Audience of Internet Dating Dating sites could provoke more sensitive issues prevailing in the society. As more people are provided with easier access to the internet, the more chances there is that discrimination would happen, may it be racial or physical. Furthermore, sexual partners from the internet, with an emphasis to those who engage to casual sex, may be an accepted societal notion and thus will have more effects towards other sectors particularly reproductive health. It is much to the interest of the dating site users which this paper explores since it deliberates on impact of such activity in a broader sense. International Marriages Through Online Dating and Its Underlying Social Implications It must be exciting to thi nk that dating sites are expanding the user’s thoughts about racial identity. In the varied selection of potential mates, Caucasians, Black Americans, Asians and all others are not classified. In other words, the internet seems to have more room of racial acceptance than racial discrimination. However, what Warchaur found out could be intriguingly opposite to this notion. According to Turkle, â€Å"interracial marriages make racial identity more subjective and multiple; the anonymous, multi-channeled communication facilitated by the Internet deepens this trend toward multiple subjective identity† (qtd. in Warchaur). In other words, the anonymity of the dating sites members would reject possible personal differences and their attitudes would be completely relying on their race. Although the internet can be a good venue for true globalization to prosper, the dating site users are not spared from subjective generalization of their race. A member may have filled out their profile honestly, but this does not mean that members as such comprise 100% of the site. The truth is, there are members who lie, and this thought is so common that no matter how well-written the profile information is, the racial background still counts (e.g. Black Americans are stereotyped as violent). Because of existing racial stereotypes and the inaccessibility of face to face encounter, dating sites are prone to discrimination. Attractiveness is also a major issue internet dating rather than focusing on abstract qualities of a person. In a research conducted by Hitsch, Hortacsu, and Ariely with internet dating site users in the United States, the attractive mate prospects get the most number of replies and views than their less physically attractive counterparts. Electronic mail responses are more frequent to physically attractive members (16). As expected, physically attractive men and women are very selective in their potential partners in the dating sites. While 40% of aver age men gets responses from average women, the contrast is true for attractive men and women. It has been found out that least attractive members are â€Å"2-4 times more likely to send a first-contact e-mail to a man than the most attractive women† (17). Racial issues, sexual abuse, and self-esteem are at stake in the growing trend of e-dating. If the restrictions should be out of hand, then the users are in danger of suffering these consequences. The leniency of the government when it comes to internet control could have been the main culprit of this

Argument Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Argument Analysis - Essay Example Botstein however claims that it is not the length of school days that affects the performance of the children rather; it is how the time in school is spent. He presented some statistics to point out his argument. The thesis of the article is that the solution to the improvement of the academic performance of the school children in the US is not the lengthening of the time spent in school but rather, an analysis of how the time in school is spent. Botstein’s article is targeted to every American citizen, particularly to the politicians who are moving for the extension of the number of school days. He also aims to target the parents of the school children to explain to them that it is not the number of school days that really matters. He is addressing the parents to probably put some pressure on the politicians to extensively study their proposal before making it into a law. Botstein is trying to convince his readers to believe his argument through the use of the logical appeal to prove his point. He supports his argument by comparing the number of school days in the other countries that outperforms the US’ school children. Botstein indicated that some countries have longer school days, others have less school days while others have the same school days as in the US but it was not what really mattered. What are essential are the instruction hours that are dedicated in key areas such as mathematics, science, history and literature. He mentioned that American high school students spend only 41 per cent of their time in school studying these subject areas unlike the Japanese and the French (Botstein 1). Botstein used analogy to prove his point. Another issue which Botstein identified as the reason for the poorer performance of the US school children compared with other countries is the issue on who is doing the teaching. To prove his point he presented the results of the 1996 survey of the Education

Native Americans Trailer Feather War Bonnet and Tipi Essay - 51

Native Americans Trailer Feather War Bonnet and Tipi - Essay Example There is also a window which makes it possible to think that the tip is placed inside a bigger room probably a tent, and thus maybe the structure is used to display the Native Culture. Most of the time nowadays, this kind of a war bonnet is seen by the young generations during movies, because most of these native wears are not concentrated on in today’s societies. The Indian tribes associated with such headdress and housing includes the Sioux, Crow, and Blackfeet, Cheyenne, and Plains Cree. They are commonly found in the Great Plains region, which is concentrated with tribes of the Native Americans. A war bonnet is a very important attire worn during important ceremonies by the Native American chiefs and warriors. These headdresses are only worn by men in the Native American tribes, and especially during the fighting. There are different kinds of war bonnets such as the Halo war bonnet, which is a combination of eagle feathers, spread out around the face and fashioned in an oval shape. There is another one which is known as the straight-up feather headdress; it is a taller, narrower and in this kind of headdress, the eagle’s feathers stand up straight. In the picture, the kind displayed is a trailer headdress. It is a headdress with single or double rows of eagle feathers designed in a long tail that touches the ground. The tipis are houses used by the red Indians for shelter. Every Native American tribe had a different kind of tipi that would serve their needs and especially one that would suit their particular lifestyle. It looks like a cone-shaped wooden house. It is made of a wooden frame and is covered with hiding and especially with buffalo hide. Tips are very easy to construct and also to bring down, as the tribes that use them are pastoralist, hence, they do not need permanent residence.

The Music Video Picasso Baby by Jay Z Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Music Video Picasso Baby by Jay Z - Essay Example The essay "The Music Video Picasso Baby by Jay Z" aims to analyze the album of Ja-Z and gives a review on his video. Picasso Baby, included in Jay Z’s album titled ‘Magna Carta Holy Grail’, is a music piece inspired by art-world icons and ‘high-status’ figures. The performance was with an interaction of an invited-only audience composed of a number of elites in the art world. Performance by artists like Marina Abramovic from the MoMA show-â€Å"The Artist is Present† graced the video. The lyrics and script relate to the video in that performance art, just like other types of arts, draws its influence from ‘stigmata effect.’ This means that he does not just perform in concerts for the audience, but engages the audience as a necessary and equal part of the performance. The piece takes place through the bodies of all the listeners, including the artist (Jay Z) himself. Picasso Baby’s performance is a manifestation of performanc e changes that Jay Z is trying to achieve. Depending upon individuals who present themselves before the performing artist, Jay Z acts a shiny surface that embodies and reflects his fans. Herein, the connection between ‘Picasso Baby’ and the works of famous artists he mentions in his lyrics is seen. Watching the video for the first time, I was drawn to the entire performance as a normal event. Using Pace Gallery as the setting also makes the whole performance questionable considering that Jay Z’s celebrity status is enough to grant him entry into the gallery.

'Capitalism is a force of progress for business and society'. Discuss Essay - 1

'Capitalism is a force of progress for business and society'. Discuss - Essay Example According to Potter (2008), capitalist system in the recent scenario has encouraged the businesses to become a major cause for economic, environmental and social complications. On further analysis of his views it is ascertained that modern-day companies are developing and prospering at the cost of societal degradation. The essay intends to discuss whether capitalism is acting as a force or not in the progression of business and society. Furthermore, the essay will reflect the views and theories provided by various authors regarding capitalism and its implications upon society and business. Evaluation of Capitalism as a Force of Progress for Business and Society According to Fulcher (2004), in traditional form of business the merchants used to invest money in order to get better returns in the forms of goods and monetary valuations. In the similar context, the capitalist production in the present scenario mainly depends upon the exploitation of the wage labour. In the capitalist socie ty, labour is considered to be vital as they are engaged in more work activities that facilitate to increase the production and ultimately the consumption. Furthermore, the author’s view reflects that in the market, production along with consumption frame the basis of economic activities. As ascertained by him, market fluctuations give rise to the basis of hypothetical form of capitalism that does not result in any productivity. In this regard, this mechanism of capitalism theory frames the key operational purview of the capitalist economy. According to Cammack (1998), with the advent of capitalism, the liberal democracy has been diminished. Liberal democracy represents a governmental form that operates following the principles that are implemented to protect the rights of the minorities. The domination of capitalism in the economic sector worldwide has acted as a key force to overpower liberal democracies. In recent scenario, in the midst of capitalist society, the minor sec tion in the society is being exploited with a motive to earn more profit margins. Furthermore, inequality within the capitalist society has taken a greater height as mentioned by Cammack (2009) & Guimaraes (2012). The authors highlighted the viewpoint of Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) that expresses views related to globalisation. In accordance with this viewpoint, globalisation has been considered as the ‘win-win’ process by the economists but public opinions regarding the concerning view was quite hostile. The trend of inequality and the above mentioned perspective relate with the capitalist society wherein most of the firms operate within competitive world economy with profit motive. In relation to capitalism in the modern era, the corporate sector has taken over a majority of the market scenario. In this regard, Crouch (2011) explores that in the midst of liberal society, capitalism is entering by the mode of two vibrant thoughts within the societal context. The group that fears expansion of the government sector within the society prepares itself to tolerate the exploitation of private sector. Whereas, the other group is ready to encourage the growth of governmental sector in order to reduce the expansion of corporate sector within the society. Furthermore, in keeping with the notion whether capitalism is facilitating the business and societal development or not, Dicken (2010)

Teenage Pregnancy Master Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Teenage Pregnancy Master - Essay Example The recent decrease has been ascribed to more information on this social problem and continued work. Knowledge about this problem has been updated so it is now known that teenage pregnancy is both a result and cause of poverty. Young mothers have other problems such as low achievement and low aspirations (Teenage Pregnancy Independent Advisory Group, 2008). Despite this, there is still a deficit of knowledge about the young people's views of the effectiveness of interventions to reduce the frequency of teenage pregnancy. It has been suggested that the views of young people, specially teenage mothers may suggest ways to reduce the frequency of teenage pregnancy more effectively. One such example may be that young people emphasise on interventions being person-centred. Young mothers perceive a lack of effective communication of health and education messages. They perceive the staff to be less educated and inadequately sensitive to the needs of young people. Peer education and help and services for young men are lacking. In the youth settings, there must be sexual health services for teenagers (Chambers et al., 2002, 85-90). Researchers have pointed to the roles of socioeconomic factors in teenage pregnancy. With rise in awareness, now the trend is teenage abortion which fails the purpose of preventive services, exposing the teenage mothers to a higher degree of vulnerability. It is true that there is no concrete information as to what would constitute better outcomes when dealing with teenage pregnancy. This points to the fact that it is necessary to ask the teenage mothers whether they perceive a pregnancy to be unwanted that ends in either birth or abortion. Indeed, there is an element of lack of understanding due to broader mismatch in communication. Review of literature suggests that other nonsexual health concerns are priorities in the case of teenagers, and sexual health rates lower in priority (Jacobsen et al., 1993). The Teenage Pregnancy Report shows that the UK rates of teen pregnancy are twice as high as Germany, three times higher than France, and Five times higher than the Netherlands. It has been found that the daughters of teen mothers are twice likely to be pregnant at their teenage. It is unfortunate, as the data suggest, that 75% of the teenage conceptions are unplanned, and about 50% of these result in abortion. The inadequacy of the services is highlighted by the fact that 20% of the births to the teen mothers are second teen pregnancies. The roles played by the socioeconomic factors are further highlighted by the fact that 50% of the teenage mothers exist in 20% of the wards with the highest rates (Teenage Pregnancy Independent Advisory Group, 2008). It may be argued that this distribution has no socioepidemiologic implications. Reviews of interventions directed towards reduction of poor sexual health outcomes, which include unplanned pregnancy, show that interventions have little to no role to influence sexual behaviour and contraceptive use. This has occurred mainly due to the fact that despite increased knowledge about sexual health, knowledge does not seem to influence the decision of the teens to have safe sex practices, cautious and risk-free sexual behaviour, and contraceptive use (Levine et al., 2001). These happen due to generalisation of such interventions across a varied population. Populations are