General Motors Essay Example for Free

General Motors Essay I first want to start out with the bailout in 2009 where the government gave General Motors money ($40 million) to help get them out the situation with their creditors and took over most of the company. According to reports all of the outstanding stock has been sold and now the company is out of the government’s hands. The total amount given to them was not paid in full and they do not feel like they need to repay anymore because they said that there was a risk with taking the stock and that the government would just get back what the stock sold for. I know that this is true in the stock market, as I have stocks myself and know the risks that I am taking. I still have a problem with giving them money when one of the other larger automobile companies (Ford Motor Company) took it upon themselves to restructure and is paying off their own debts little by little and is still moving along today. Along with the sale of all of the stock came a lift on the freeze of upper management wages and incentives. This is just not right. I would like to live on what some of them make, and I am sure that I could live very comfortably. Let them come and live on my income and see what they can do. I really have a problem with going overseas for production and I always will. It is probably my age and all of the trials and tribulations that I have lived through as well as what I have seen others live through. Many people were told that their jobs would be secure and since then General Motors has cut back on jobs here in the United States. I wonder just how many people outside of this country have been given jobs that could have been here at home. I know that many companies take production overseas because they say that the costs for labor are a lot  lower. Well, that may be true but has anyone seen the living conditions of those people overseas. Are we really paying them what they should be getting? Let’s take into consideration all of the recalls that General Motors has made in the last few years. Way too many in my book. Why is there faulty material being used to manufacture a product that could easily take the lives of many people. These products were made mostly overseas, I believe, and could lower wages be part of the problem of not noticing the faulty parts in the first place? By taking away incentives for prospective buyers, I believe, really hurt their business, but then I say, â€Å"Why give an incentive and not just reduce the price of the car in the first place?† I know that consumers look f or incentives but I think that they would look just as hard if the price of the cars were lower too. Let us look at the strategy that General Motors is wanting to take. The strategy that I believe that they are using is a combination of three strategies. They are as follows: Defensive Strategy in that General Motors decided to cut back the number of makes of automobiles; Cost-Leadership Strategy in that expenses needed to manufacture the cars are kept at a lower cost and maintained at that lower cost; and Differentiation Strategy in that they need to make a superior product for a vast number of people at a low cost. According to the plan General Motors is going to start making their automobiles using the same parts in the same laid out plants and using the same kind of tools throughout. They are also cutting back on the number of models from 86 to 49. When it came to the cost-leadership strategy, I put the loss of incentives to customers in this category. I still do not understand why there are incentives when they could just reduce the price of the automobile or truck. I think that people would look more if the price were lower. The differentiation strategy they have cut back on the workforce but are still making the superior produc t for a vast audience. I realize that they need to watch their competitors closely, especially those overseas but they also need to take care of the people right here in the United States. General Motors has a vision to reduce costs and increase revenue through global sales growth to a net profit of 10%. I think that they are asking for a lot out of the economy, as it is today As the plan states, Ford is farther ahead of General Motors and they made more of a profit per vehicle sold than General Motors. This was all done because of  going globally. The culture needs to change too and get away from focusing on selling the most cars and take care of the customers that they currently have and possibly will have in the future. Yes, sales are important, but they will come if their customer focus is there first. I think that the 10% increase in profits is a little out the park when you are just restructuring and trying to maintain your status. You will need to take smaller increases in profit for a few years and then the profits will increase as the years go by. When looking at SMART goals I find that General Motors set their goal of making more than $10 billion per year. This is a very challenging goal for a company that is just coming back from restructuring. This goal is very specific but I do not believe that it is attainable with the economy that we have today. I know that they look at achieving this goal globally but they really need to concentrate right here in the United States. To be results-oriented they needed to decrease the number of types of cars they produce, reduce the number in their global workforce, (which they did), reduce the number of union workers here in the United States (which they did) and close down plants that were not up to par (which they did). Was this the right decision to make? Who knows for sure? The only thing that I can see is that they put a lot of people out of work. In looking at the Planning/Control Cycle, I see that General Motors followed it by making the plan, carrying out the plan, they looked at the results of the plan and they controlled the direction of the plan by making any corrections as they went along with the plan. Planning is very important in everything that you do. You must always follow through too and watch as the plan is being carried out and always have control of what is going on and make sure that you make any corrections as the plan goes on. If need be, go back to the beginning and start all over again if the plan goes off track too far or if you have to make too many corrections. According to Mr. Akerson when asked about being back on top and the world’s largest auto maker his response was: â€Å"General Motors needs to focus on profits and margins and not necessarily try to post nu mbers on the board.† Maybe they need to go back and re-think their plan again and make sure they are staying on track as they proceed. In conclusion, I just want to add that I read two reports that just came out on CNN today. â€Å"One concerned a former manager for General Motors, Bill McAleer, who was in charge of the Global delivery system from 1988 to 1998 which was  used to access the quality of cars before they were sent to various dealers. He said that the culture of General Motors was the main problem of the company where if there was a problem and you said anything that you could be fired and then on the other hand if you did not say anything, you still could be fired.† What kind of culture is that? It is kind of twisted, if I must say. He said that he had sent a letter to the upper management about all of the defects that he had found and that they just ignored it. He also said that he never received a response in any way about the letter. He mentioned that in 1997 the focus for the company really changed and internally and that there were to be NO problems admitted to. How ridiculous is that. There is never a time during the day that a company does not have some kind of problem. He went on to say; â€Å"That’s what happened with the ignition switch, people knew that there was a problem but problems were not acceptable. They just ignored it.† Mr. McAleer was laid off in 2004 and filed suit agains t the company under the Whistleblower Law but he lost his suit. And what happened yesterday, June 27, 2014? General Motors recalled another 430,000 2013 and 2014 vehicles for various defects from windshield wiper assemblies on Caprice Police Cars, to transmission software, to rear shock absorbers, and to air bag problems. What is with this company? The article stated that since January, General Motors has recalled more than 20 million vehicles worldwide. If they knew about the ignition switch more than a decade ago and did nothing until this year, why are they still in business? Where are most of these defective parts coming from? I would imagine that you can see why I cannot be happy about this company. I have lived many years and have worked in various occupations and have seen the defective merchandise come from out of the country and would just sit there and shake my head. Working in retail for over 20 years, I just would not put merchandise on the floor for customers to purchase if I found it to be defective. Did I get into trouble for it? Absolutely not! We cared about our customers, why doesn’t General Motors. Seems like all they are interested in is the almighty dollar. Ref: CNN.com Article by Patrick Sheridan, June 28, 2014 @ 12:24 pm ET Article by Patrick Sheridan, June 27, 2014 @ 6:564 pm ET

AP Dashanchurna Essay Example for Free

AP Dashanchurna Essay Operating since 1912, Ayurvedia Pharmacy is one of the oldest operating pharmacies in Bangladesh. Despite its long life, it has failed to make its mark as one of the prominent companies in this country. It has a range of over 100 products but only four of these are prominent. Even among these four, some are faltering and losing ground to new entrants. AP Dashanchurna (white toothpowder) is one of these products. AP Dashanchurna has been around for a very long time, but it gained popularity after the current owners took over the company from the government in the year 1979. It gained the epitome of popularity in the years 1990-95 when this name was a household name. Regretfully, AP Dashanchurna has not been able to hold on to its glory. AP Dashanchurna is now a losing concern. The company has held onto this product simply because it has been one of the flagship brands of the company for a long time. The problem with AP Dashanchurna is that it has failed to capitalize on its long life and fame. In the meantime, products like Magic Toothpowder, Colgate Toothpowder, Shakti Majan etc have gained significant foothold in the market. These companies take a more structured approach to identifying the target market and have significantly better marketing communication. AP Dashanshurna has failed because it has not balanced its marketing communication with the target market and hence lost customers. It also failed to make use of its chief strength, the herbal makeup of the products. AP Dashanchurna is launching a new campaign in an effort to rejuvenate the product. They are bringing changes in the packaging, going for television commercials and newspaper advertisements. They do not undertake any activities to find out consumer insights, and marketing communications are based only on gut feeling of the marketers. A set of recommendations have been proposed for AP Dashanchurna. Our recommended marketing campaign is focused on its relevant target market and its perception in the market. The whole marketing mix has been renovated and a new marketing mix has been suggested for AP Dashanchurna. It is expected that this marketing mix will help redeem the product’s value and perception in its target market.

Euthyphros Definition Of Piety

Euthyphros Definition Of Piety In Platos Euthyphro, the character Euthyphro attempts to define the pious as what all the gods love. In this essay, I will examine the basis on which Socrates rejects this definition. In order to do so, I will provide an outline of the dialogue for context. Furthermore, I will analyse what Socrates seems to require for a good definition. Finally, I will attempt to defend Euthyphros definition. Socrates rejects Euthyphros definition on the grounds that his reasoning is circular, but I will argue that by removing the implicit requirement that there needs to be a cause for what the gods love, Euthyphros definition stands up to Socrates argument while falling under his requirements for a good definition. In the Euthyphro, Socrates wants Euthyphro to instruct him on definition of the pious, as Euthyphro is considered an authority on all religious matters, and Socrates believes that by coming under his tutelage he can escape Meletus charges should he prosecute Socrates. Socrates and Euthyphro agree that there must be one exact standard or characteristic quality by which all pious things are pious and everything impious, in contrast to the pious, is impious. Socrates wants to know what this quality is. Euthyphro suggests that prosecuting those who commit injustices is pious, and not prosecuting them is impious, regardless of whom they may be. He references his prosecution of his own father for murder as an example. He notes that Zeus imprisoned his own father for wickedly devouring his own children. As Zeus is the best and most just of all the gods (6a), if he behaves rightly in imprisoning his father for injustice, Euthyphros actions must be pious for following this example. Socrates feels that this is not a good definition of piety. He points out prosecuting those who commit injustices is merely an example of a pious act, and not a definition of piety itself. Euthyphro concedes that there are many more pious deeds that do not consist of prosecuting offenders. Socrates then asks Euthyphro to tell him the the essential aspect, by which all holy acts are holy (6d). Euthyphro then proposes another definition: that piety is what is agreeable to the gods. Socrates proceeds to investigate whether or not this more general definition is accurate. First, he notes out that the gods themselves often quarrel, as is recounted in the myths that Euthyphro believes in so literally. Socrates points out that arguments do not persist over disputed facts, since agreements can be reached through calculation or investigation, but rather over questions of value, such as what is right and wrong, and noble and disgraceful, and good and bad (7d). Euthyphro agrees with this assessment. Socrates points out that if the gods quarrel over what is just and what is good, then there is clearly no agreement among them on such issues. After all, if they have different opinions on justice, it follows that they must approve of different things. Therefore there must be certain things that are loved by some gods and unloved by other gods. But according to Euthyphros definition, that would mean that those things are both pious and impious, since they are approved of by some gods and disapproved of by others. This is clearly contradictory to the earlier assertion that there is one standard for piety, and concordantly for impiety since the impious is that which is not pious. Euthyphro replies that surely the gods all agree that a person who kills someone unjustly should be punished. Socrates replies that the argument is not about whether or not an acknowledged wrongdoer should be punished, but about whether that person has in fact acted unjustly. Hence for Euthyphros argument to have any weight, he needs not to show that the gods agree that someone who murders unjustly should be punished, but that they agree that a particular murder is unjust in the first place. All of this gives us an idea as to what Socrates considers a good definition. He is not satisfied with answers that pertain to certain types of piety, or specific examples of piety. The answer must concern a quality that involves all forms of piety and to nothing that is not pious. In short, a good definition, for Socrates, requires both generality and exclusivity. Furthermore, it must have explanatory power. A statement of somethings non-essential attributes might be true, but would qualify as a definition because it does not explain what that thing is; it merely describes some of that things properties. Eurthyphros responds by changing his earlier definition; he proposes that the pious is what all the gods love, and impiety is what they all hate. Socrates responds by asking Euthyphro whether pious deeds are approved by the gods because they are pious or whether they are pious because they are approved by the gods. The point he wants to make here is that there is a difference between being something and getting something. There are three things that can be said about any action: (1) it is pious, (2) it gets approved by the gods, and (3) it is approved by the gods. The distinction between statements (2) and (3) is that (2) deals with the act of approval by the gods and (3) deals with the state of the action as being approved of by the gods. Causally, (3) must follow (2). The three claims Euthyphro makes are: (i) something gets approved by the gods because it is pious; (ii) something is approved of by the gods because it gets approved of by the gods (this claim is implicit); (iii) what is pious is what is approved of by the gods. The first claim (i) says that (2) is true if (1) is true, (ii) states that (3) is true if (2) is true, and (iii) states that (1) is equivalent to (3). But (i) and (ii) imply that if (1) is true then (3) is true, which is not the same as saying that (1) is the same as (3). Even if (1) and (3) refer to the same thing, they do not have the same meaning. Therefore Euthyphros cannot claim that the definition of piety is that which all the gods love without his reasoning being circular. While Socratess argument is indeed a powerful blow against Euthyphros definition, we shall try and see if it is at all possible to defend Euthyphros definition. One way do so is by going back to the question that Socrates poses to him about whether that which is pious is loved by the gods because it is pious or whether it is pious because it is loved by the gods. The question assumes that the gods need a reason to love something, which is not necessarily the case. If the approval of the gods does not require a cause, then piety can certainly be defined to be that which the gods love without causing any inconsistency. We note that what is pious is always pious. It does not seem to make any sense that what is pious today will be impious tomorrow. It follows that what is pious today was pious yesterday, and what was pious yesterday was pious the day before that, and so on until we arrive at the first cause of piety itself, which is defined as what all the gods love. Under this framework , piety is the state of being loved by all the gods, but it is meaningless to ask what prompts the gods to love something; that is, what caused the gods to love it. Socrates would no doubt complain that this makes piety a rather arbitrary affair, but that should not hinder Euthyphro. It has already been affirmed that different gods can love different things. That indicates that the likes and dislikes of the gods are not based on some higher principles, but are in fact arbitrary. Even so, it is always possible that all the gods can all love the same thing. This can happen purely by chance, but that would still not change that thing from being pious under Euthyphros definition. We note that Euthyphros definition is overarching definition that includes all that is pious and excludes everything else, while having sufficient explanatory power. While Socrates argument against Euthyphros definition is strong, it does not necessarily invalidate the definition. By removing the implicit requirement that the gods need a reason to love something, the definition holds up to both Socrates argument as well as his requirements for a good definition.

The New Immigration in American History :: American America History

The New Immigration in American History In 1886 the statue of "Liberty Enlightening the World," a gift from the people of France, was dedicated by President Grover Cleveland. Set at the entrance to New York, the statue was just in time to greet the biggest migration in global history. Between 1880 and World War I, about 22 million men, women, and children entered the United States. More than a million arrived in each of the years 1905, 1906, 1907, 1910, 1913, and 1914. Not everyone had to travel in steerage. Passengers who could afford the expense paid for first- or second-class quarters. Upon arrival these immigrants were examined by courteous officials who boarded the ships at anchor. But those in steerage were sent to a holding center for a full physical and mental examination. The facility at Ellis Island which opened in 1892 could process up to 5,000 people a day. On some days between 1905 and 1914 it had to process more than 10,000 immigrants a day. Many arrivals had left their homelands to escape mobs who attacked them because of their ethnicity, religion, or politics. The German, Russian, Austro-Hungarian, and Ottoman (Turkish) empires ruled over many different peoples and nationalities and often cruelly mistreated them. Until 1899, U.S. immigration officials asked arrivals which nation they had left, not their religion or ancestry. So oppressed people were listed under the countries from which they fled. Armenians who escaped from Turkey were recorded as Turks, and Jews who had been beaten by mobs in Russia were listed as Russians. This so called "new immigration" was different in many other ways from previous immigration. For the first time, Catholic an Jewish immigrants outnumbered Protestants, and still other arrivals were Muslims, Buddhists, or Greek or Russian Orthodox church members. Until 1897, 90 percent of all overseas immigrants had come from Protestant northern and western Europe. Many of these nations had democratic traditions and education systems. Even among the poor, many had spent a few years in school or had acquired some industrial skills on the job, and more than a few spoke English. Many of these men and women settled in agriculture regions of the Untied States.

The Irony Of Lord Jim :: Essays Papers

The Irony Of Lord Jim Lord Jim was written by Joseph Conrad in 1900. Lord Jim’s tale is a lesson in life. It includes many key literary aspects; the main one, nevertheless, would be irony. With parts of the story exhibiting heroic redemption and others cowardice and shortcomings, it shows the vast conflicts that take place in the story. Lord Jim shows the many hardships the main character,Tuan Jim or Lord Jim, had to go through with great detail. Lord Jim tests the basic worth of a man and the truth that lies within one’s soul. The central irony in this book balances itself upon morality and guilt with a tragic result. Jim’s soul continued to torture itself for the betrayal he performed when he left the Patna to sink. Jim’s soul would forever punish him for the unspeakable act he committed when he left the Patna to sink. As so, Jim was destined to live the rest of his life in misery when he left the eight hundred passengers to die. The Patna incident caused a chain of self hatred and self loathing that would go on until Jim’s death. Jim’s ever churning soul made him very unhappy. Fighting constantly within himself made Jim experience extreme guilt and anguish. The way Jim struggled on the inside caused Jim to seem lack luster and lazy on the outside. If Jim would have been more at peace with his soul he would not have been in such pain. Being that Jim was somewhat innocent when he first became a water clerk aboard the Patna; he lacked the mental toughness that would be crucial in key situations. With virtue and perseverance Jim struggled on. Trying to find his inner self and to become a good sailor was important to Jim. Forced into maturing because of the importance of his job; Jim often felt isolated and alone. But his love for the sea kept him going even in tough times; ironically it would be the same love that would lead to his destruction. Indeed, Jim had a great love for the sea. He respected it and its powers. Although it took a tragic event to learn the seas authoritative powers , Jim still admired it. The sea was Jim’s motivation and his passion.

Essay --

1. Fred Korematsu and Gordon Hirabayashi were two men who refused to report to the evacuation center when all Japanese people were being forced to relocate. Relocation began in April 1942 and these two men challenged President Roosevelt’s executive order 9066, that stated, â€Å"All persons of Japanese ancestry, both alien and non-alien, will be evacuated (Takaki 344).† Korematsu and Hirabayashi were both arrested, convicted, and sent to prison (Takaki 345). Their cases later went to the Supreme Court but the government policy said them getting convicted and sent to prison was a military necessity (Takaki 345). Both were sent to Guantanamo Bay where Mr.Kore challenged the detainment of the prisoners (Takaki 345). Since the Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese, Americans felt the need to relocate them and have guards watch over them. The outcome of Korematsu and Hirabayashi’s case was brought back to the court in 1983 and their conviction was taken of their rec ord (Lecture 11-11-13). The legacy that carries on because of these two men was that when Bill Clinton became President, he awarded Korematsu a metal of freedom (Lecture 11/11/13). 2. The Executive Order 9066 was created by President Roosevelt in 1942 after the Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese (Takaki 345). Executive Order 9066 consisted of relocating the Japanese to internment or relocation camps. The families were only allowed to take what they could carry with their own two hands. Women, men, and their children were registered and given a number while they were surrounded by American soldiers with rifles (Takaki 345). After the families received their numbers they were put into trains and while on the train nobody knew where they were being sent. As they reached the... ...kaki 364). The Bracero Program was an opportunity for Mexicans to make money and this program was placed in 21 states (Takaki 364). An example of discrimination that the Mexican American faced was the death of Felix Z. Longoria Jr. in 1945 (Lecture 11/13/13). Longoria Jr. was killed by the Japanese and his remains were not returned to the United States until 1949. The discrimination aspect was that white people did not want Longoria Jr. to be buried in the same cemetery as them. The accomplishment aspect of his story was that he was awarded the Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Good Conduct Metal, and Combat Infantryman with military (Lecture 11/12/13). World War II ended in 1945 and in between those seven years, Mexican Americans were treated unfairly in the military but they still felt the need to help out and fight for their country in which they wanted to call theirs.

Marketing Reasearch Topshop Essay

Many organisations use marketing research to contribute to the development of their businesses because Market research can improve marketing strategies. Market research gives you concrete feedback regarding the product or service. You can use the information from market studies in your marketing strategy to define your target market, position your product, and price it appropriately. TOPSHOP is one of the world’s most internationally recognized fashion design talent schemes its part of the Arcadia Group, which owns a number of other retail outlets, it seems to be the single biggest supporter of emerging design talent in the UK. Arcadia Group ones over than 500 stores in more than 30 markets, supporting franchisees. Retail is a popular market as many new designers and stores are always popping Using marketing research is the most common kind of research as you can determine your market how you need to brand your product. Also finding competitors can be very useful when selling similar products for example a very popular fashion necessity like leggings. These leather leggings are popular in London at the moment and many stores are selling them however as TOPSHOP is such a popular brand people would rather spend  £33 at TOPSHOP then  £12.99 at a more basic store even with the significant price difference. This shows the importance of market research and branding, TOPSHOP’s reputation and brand awareness allows them to sell product at a higher price than other market competitors. Both products are made from the same material 100% Polyurethane but TOPSHOPS modifies the basic shape by adding multiple seams and a metal zipper, this adds a more fashionable twist then other companies which then allow TOPSHOP’s marketing team to increase the price to beat competitors. Topshop is a British clothes retailer specialized in women’s clothing and fashion accessories. Topshop started life in 1964 as Peter Robinson’s Topshop. By the 1970s Topshop had the first stand-alone store which was opened in 1974 however in 1994 the brand began to grow and set up at 214 Oxford Store. TOPSHOP first had a reputation of being a tacky low price clothing outlet. As the brand started growing they created TOPSHOP ‘plus’ to appeal to a larger market and compete with potential market competitors, which has now earned the fame of now leading fashion retailer. This success is owed to market strategy made in 1994 by going upscale. TOPSHOP ‘plus’ products will arrive first in the market and will be of high quality and very low comparative price. TOPSHOP plus stock up to date fashion clothes and accessories before any of its competitors does in the market because of the brand status many sellers want to work with TOPSHOP as they have so much publicity and celebrity endorsement. The endorsement from the British super model Kate Moss acted to strengthen Top Shop’s image as being first class in fashion clothing additionally the collection arrived in stores, designed to capture the models’ unique sense of style, Kate Moss for Top shop was one of the most hotly anticipated high street collaborations. Over time, TOPSHOP will come to be known not only as just the fashion accessory provider but much rather a trend setter especially with its in-house designer brands and those exclusively introduced and introduced by fashion industry leaders. Due to its various marketing efforts, innovations in the business and exclusive services for its customers, it is now the biggest and the most differentiated name in the fashion industry especially when it comes to retailers in the field.