Tuesday, December 31, 2019

How Santas Reindeer Got Their Names

If you ask the average American to name Santas reindeer, the first name to pop up will probably be  Rudolph  (the Red-Nosed Reindeer). The next two would no doubt be  Donner  and  Blitzen. But is this correct? And where did these names come from? Origin of Reindeer Names The popular Christmas song  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer† was a 1949 hit tune sung and recorded by Gene Autry and based on a character originally created by a marketing team for Montgomery Ward in 1939. The lyrics were written by  Johnny Marks, who borrowed most of the reindeer names from the classic 1823 poem â€Å"A Visit from Saint Nicholas† (more commonly known as â€Å"Twas the Night before Christmas†) by Major Henry Livingston, Jr. (Historically,  Clement Clarke Moore has been credited for the poem, but most scholars now believe Livingston to have been the poet.) The original poem refers to â€Å"eight tiny reindeer† (Rudolph actually makes it nine tiny reindeer) and names them: â€Å"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen!/On, Comet! on, Cupid! on Dunder and Blixem!† Later Versions Dunder and Blixem? Youve always heard Donner and Blitzen, right? The former were Dutch names written into the poem by Livingston. Only in later versions, modified by Moore in 1844, were the two names changed to German:  Donder  (close to  Donner, thunder) and  Blitzen  (lightning), to better rhyme with Vixen. Finally, for some reason, in the song â€Å"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer† Marks turned Donder into Donner. Whether Marks made the change because he knew German or because it just sounded better is uncertain.* In any event, there is certainly some logic in using German  Donner  and  Blitzen  (thunder and lightning) for the names. Since 1950 or so, the two reindeer names have been  Donner  and  Blitzen  in both â€Å"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer†Ã‚  and the â€Å"A  Visit  from Saint Nicholas.

Monday, December 23, 2019

The Diversity And Culture Of The Native American Society

The world is constantly changing and people are making a strong attempt to keep up. What happens when culture and the ways you know to be true are challenged by the ways of the world? The Native American people faced these, along with many other, challenges as Anglo-American society began to blossom and overtake the area. What challenges have the Dinà © faced while trying to remain true to their culture, yet reside in a non-native society? It what ways have these experiences altered their way of life for better or worse? Is it possible to be a part of such a swift moving society and hold true to traditional values and culture? The Navajo people have tried the best they can to carry on with traditions, but as the world changes the people must†¦show more content†¦On the flip side, he said it had a lot to do with shaping him into the person he is now. His experiences gave him the wisdom and knowledge he needed to be able to help others later in his life. Throughout his life h e has felt discrimination, even in elementary school. All the Native kids were forced to be in the same class and were treated as if they didn’t belong. They were ashamed to speak their own language in fear that others would make fun of them or reject them further. They found it easiest to be a part of society by staying with their group of Native kids while the Non-Native kids formed their clicks or groups. His parent, along with many others, fought with the school to get their kids in classes that were intermixed. Once Conrad got to middle school things started to improve since they had multiple classes in a day they were given the chance to interact more with other students and make friends outside of their group. Another thing they found really difficult in growing up was dating. I never really thought about how people discriminate against people they date, but I can see that it is a big problem throughout cultures. 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Inside of a language there is a whole network of stories, living tales that pass through generations of families, a rich history that cannot be destroyed, only forgotten. The language, the structure of a society, is dissipating into the past. Communication, the glue which holds a society together, is being lost to the diminishing numbers of Native Americans due to the influence of colonization and government policies. Endangerment of languages exist acrossRead Moreculture diversity1404 Words   |  6 PagesAssignment- What information about diversity in the United States has helped you better understand or relate to others in ways that you may not have in the past? Have you learned something new about your own racial, ethnic, or cultural history? Trends in immigration will continue to shape the demographics of the United State s. What will the U.S. population look like in the year 2050? Why do you think so? What challenges does the United States face due to the diversity of its people? 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Sunday, December 15, 2019

Passages for Comment Free Essays

B. 1) It definitely gives me a clear indication of the weather conditions. In london it was very misty/foggy, but as she slowly left london behind it started to thin out and patches of blue Rosamond Lehman uses many of the ‘fabric’ metaphors so we get to see how the mist looks, which is in turn, describes the mist/fog much better. We will write a custom essay sample on Passages for Comment or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"Lentil, saffron and fawn left behind.† The words Lentil, saffron and fawn are all brown, orangy earthy colours describing London as she leaves it behind. London is all very built up and the the buildings are all very brown and dreary (linking back to lentil) â€Å"†¦but then the woollen day clarified†¦Ã¢â‚¬  , the word ‘woollen’ describes the mist/fog as wool which is a fabric that you cannot see through. The phrase, â€Å"†¦ drenched indigo muslin.† ‘Muslin’ is a very transparent type of fabric, so the mist looks very see-through . This fabric indicates a lighter colour change and lifting mist outside. â€Å"The skies amorphous material began to quilt†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The skies amorphous material are the clouds, which are beginning to thin out. The patches of blue in the sky which contrast to the white clouds are indeed like a quilt, with many patches here and there. 2) It could also be describing the condition she is in and the way in which she is feeling. She has just woken up and heard the bad news, which has thrown her mind into overwind. The heavy mist/fog outside could mean that she is seriously worried as she is weighed down with worry and concern. She is still half asleep and as she sees the billowing mist, this gives us a sort of foggy appearance of what she is feeling like (like someone who has just woken up and cant distinguish anything properly). The ‘Muslin’ fabric is telling us that her brain is not alert or sharp as she is looking, but not taking anything in. She is still in shock about the bad news and is still trying to wake up which further implies how she is feeling. C. 1) The sound and pace of the passage is very quick and fast flowing. Ernest Hemingway uses mainly two syllable words throughout, which adds to the already fast-flowing passage. This is vital in that the story needs to be quick, so that the character in the story can finish his book and so that we don’t get bored with the story line. 2) â€Å"All you have to do is write one true sentence†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I think what Hemingway is saying is that all you need to do is to write a proper, structured sentence in order to get your story flowing again. A ‘true’ sentence shows instead of tells, uses the five senses, uses strong active verbs, does not repeat oneself, doesn’t use unnecessary words and uses metaphors and word pictures. That is a ‘true’ sentence in which Hemingway describes. 3) I think that everyone has there own outlook on life, so we therefore all have different opinions on what something means. When Hemingway says that metaphorical language is ‘ornamental’, i have to agree with him, because it is a way of flowering up something and it makes people use their own imagination. Thus, all the metaphors will be will be completely different and mean other things to other people. I do associate transparent language to truthfulness because you don’t have to use your own imagination as all the facts are there. It doesn’t use any many metaphors as there is literally only one layer of depth to something. I don’t think that metaphorical language gets between reality and the reader. All people have different thoughts on the metaphors etc. So the outcome of one extract will be different to that off others. How to cite Passages for Comment, Essay examples

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Strategic Management Ideas of Qantas Airways

Question: Discuss about the Strategic Management Ideas of Qantas Airways. Answer: Introduction The study investigates the strategic management ideas of Qantas Airways, the largest airline company in Australia to determine how the strategic moves of the management have led the growth foundation of the airline company. Throughout the study the application several theoretical concepts has been addressed to find out the impact of the same of the management practices of the corporation in the target market (O'Sullivan, 2014). Interestingly, the company is one of the oldest airline corporations of the world set up in 1920. In the recent past, tough market competition from other domestic as well as international airlines companies has created substantial issues for Qantas Airways. Primarily, Air New Zealand, Singapore Airlines, and Virgin Airways can be identified as the leading market rivals affection the business structure of Qantas Airways. In the study, suitable theoretical concepts have been drawn into conclusion to identify the industry attractiveness, companys resource-based views based on Barneys concept, and competitive advantage of Qantas. Application of Theoretical Concepts Industry Attractiveness In order to identify the concept of industry attractiveness in the Australian Airlines industry, first of all, the competitive structure and potential market for the business participants must be determined. Currently, the growth outlook of international as well as domestic airlines is increasing in rapid order. Due to increasing number of customers, a number of airlines companies are participating in the market (Dawid, Reimann, 2015). Therefore, the strategic industry analysis based on Porters five forces of competition has been included in the study to identify the market positioning of Qantas Airways. Apparently, Porters Five Forces describes the economic environment and industrys framework based on components such as purchasers bargaining power, suppliers bargaining power, threats of latest market entries, and substitute services. Precisely, each of the determinants has convincingly identified the level of competition and market orientation of a company (Rotha?rmel, 2017). Based on Porters Five Forces, the industry attractiveness for Qantas has been briefed in the underlying section. The analysis of the industry based on Porters Five Forces has represented fierce market competition for the Australian Airlines company, Qantas. Due to the substantial number of airlines services, the buyers bargaining power is comprehensively high creating significant rivalry and price war. Following that, the suppliers bargaining power is relatively controlled, to say the least. In the recent time, Qantas has managed to merge with a number of suppliers that impact the services of the airlines (Korporaal, 2016). As a result of the same, the position of the airline company is strong in the industry. Alternatively, due to increasing infrastructure and technological development, threats of current participants are high. On a comprehensive note, new substitutes do not make a massive impact in the airline industry (Ethiraj, Gambardella, Helfat, 2016). By considering Porters Five Forces, the industry attractiveness can be easily pointed out. Moreover, the challenging market has created a number of management problems for Qantas as well. Resource Based View On the basis of Resource Based View (RBV) Theory of Jay Barney, the resources, capabilities, and core competencies of Qantass business structure have been described as follows. Resources Identifying the available resources has been the crucial factor leading to the successful business environment. According to Barneys Resource Based View (RBV) Theory, an organisation must constitute a human resource pool that cannot be substituted or imitated by the competitors (Ray, Barney, Muhanna, 2013). Thus, utilisation of human resources can lead to competitive advantage on a long-term basis. Based on this concept, Qantas Airways has created a well-trained and knowledgeable workforce to deliver quality services towards the customers. In this way, resources can be turned into capabilities of the organisation. Capabilities Decisively, employees of an organisation can be identified as the leading sources of organisational capabilities. Qantas Airways has influenced the customers through the brand identity. Clearly, the brand name of Qantas Group has supported the business environment. Moreover, the services quality, facilities given to the target demographics, and employee attributes have worked in favour of the firm to stay ahead of the rivals. Additionally, the corporate social responsibility towards the community has also listed as the capability leading to success. Core Competencies By understanding the resources and capabilities, Qantas has featured two core competencies i.e. loyalty of the target demographics and satisfaction of the clients in the business dimension. Through value creation, the company has utilised the capabilities to meet the satisfaction level of the domestic as well as international passengers. By following the RBV theory, Qantas Management has created a unique employee portfolio in the services sector that cannot be matched by the competitors. Such quality of services has impressed the target demographics to prefer Qantas achieving loyalty of customers. Competitive Advantage The concept of competitive advantage presents the factors that help a firm to stay ahead of its rivals. The competitive advantage theory has been developed Michael Porter that explains that factors leading to comparative advantage of a nation over any other nation. The same theory has been used by modern management professionals to evaluate the factors leading to the competitive advantage of an organisation (Oxenbridge, Wallace, White, Tiernan, Lansbury, 2010). It is important to note that an individual firm competes in the international market and a collection of firm forms an industry. Hence, the collective performance of the industry is used to judge the competitive edge of an economy. According to Porter, there are four major determinants of competitiveness that are used to plan the strategy of a firm or economy as a whole (LaPlaca, 2008). The factors influencing the competitive advantage of Qantas in the international market has been discussed herein below: Demand Conditions: Qantas is the number one airline company in Australia with its operations spread all across the globe. The developing economy of Australia has resulted in the growing demand for airline businesses that has further leaded to the competitive advantage of the business (Qi, Zhao, Sheu, 2011). But, the recent boom in the Australian inflation rate has resulted in the rise of aggregate price of different products and services resulting in the fall of demand for the airline businesses. Factor Conditions: Qantas employs the best talent in the market leading to an effective workforce and knowledge resource that acts as a competitive advantage for the organisation. On the other hand, the company has the best physical resources to support the changing needs of the consumers (Godet, 2009). Additionally, the financial position and modern infrastructure of the organisation has also supported the firm to seek competitive advantage in the international market. Supporting and Related Industry: The chaining price of oil and raw materials directly impacts the profitability of the firm. Recently, Qantas has signed several contracts with the suppliers to stabilise its procurement processes and improve the quality of its services. On the other hand, the changing policy of the government related to carbon emission and environmental conservation has become a primary challenge for the organisation. Firms Structure, Strategy and Rivalry: Qantas has a horizontal organisational structure that makes the decision making process faster and effective (McGee, 2014). On the other hand, the flexible business strategy of the firm supports the changing needs of the market. Furthermore, the growing rivalry of the business has emerged to be a current challenge for the firm. Recommendation Qantas has been quite successful in meeting the growing competition and changing factors in the international market. But, there is a need of certain changes in the strategy of the firm to enhance its growth in the long run. Therefore, the following recommendations are suggested to the management of Qantas on the basis of the above analysis: Focus on Corporate Social Responsibility: Qantas needs to focus on corporate social responsibility policy to seek a competitive advantage in the market. For example, the management must focus on reducing the pollution occurred due to the operations of the firm (Maritan, 2011). The improved CSR policy will help the firm stay safe from legal obligations and financial losses in the future. Improve Pricing Policy: The management of Qantas needs to make changes in the pricing policy in order to meet the changing demand of the market. The competitive pricing policy will be helpful to seek competitive edge. On the other hand, the company can make use of premium pricing policy for its business class services. Market Expansion: Market expansion can be another strategic change that can be implemented by the management of Qantas to seek competitive advantage in the international market (Maritan, 2011). For example, the company can introduce new routes and flights in the emerging markets to expand its business territory. Service Diversification: Service diversification is required to meet the growing competition in the market. For example, Qantas has introduced new catering service to meet the growing needs of the consumers. On the other hand, the company can consider home pickup services for the premium clients to enhance its market positioning. Conclusion The current strategic management practices of Qantas have been quite effective in meeting the changing needs of the markets. But, the company needs to consider several changes in its operation strategies in order to meet the growing competition and changing external market factors. There is a need of service diversification, better pricing policy, market expansion strategy, and improved CSR policy to enhance the grow rate in the international market. Conclusively, the firm requires a flexible strategic management policy in order to survive and seek growth in the competitive business environment References Dawid, H., Reimann, M. (2015). Evaluating Market Attractiveness: Individual Incentives Versus Industry Profitability.Computational Economics,24(4), 321-355. Ethiraj, S., Gambardella, A., Helfat, C. (2016). Replication in strategic management.Strategic Management Journal,37(11), 2191-2192. Godet, M. (2009). Effective strategic management the prospective approach.Technology Analysis Strategic Management,1(1), 45-56. Korporaal, G. (2016).Women fly Qantas higher.Theaustralian.com.au. Retrieved March 2017, from https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/aviation/qantas-alan-joyce-diversity-is-making-the-difference/news-story/176faa7ef737b8ba36819efbc37a2ba7 LaPlaca, P. (2008). Industrial marketing management.Industrial Marketing Management,37(3), 245-246. Maritan, C. (2011).Competitive strategy(1st ed.). Cheltenham: Elgar. McGee, J. (2014).Strategic management(1st ed.). Chichester: Wiley. O'Sullivan, M. (2014).Qantas unveils big management reshuffle.The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved March 2017, from https://www.smh.com.au/business/aviation/qantas-unveils-big-management-reshuffle-20141212-1262q5.html Oxenbridge, S., Wallace, J., White, L., Tiernan, S., Lansbury, R. (2010). A comparative analysis of restructuring employment relationships in Qantas and Aer Lingus: different routes, similar destinations.The International Journal Of Human Resource Management,21(2), 180-196. Qi, Y., Zhao, X., Sheu, C. (2011). The Impact of Competitive Strategy and Supply Chain Strategy on Business Performance: The Role of Environmental Uncertainty.Decision Sciences,42(2), 371-389. Ray, G., Barney, J., Muhanna, W. (2013). Capabilities, business processes, and competitive advantage: choosing the dependent variable in empirical tests of the resource-based view.Strategic Management Journal,25(1), 23-37. Rotha?rmel, F. (2017).Strategic management(1st ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.