Influence of Language Contact on English Language

Influence of address Contact on face LanguageTo what extent has vocabulary contact touch the side of meat linguistic process?In discussing the influence of other languages on the incline language, the term language contact may be defined as the seismic disturbance of other languages on side as a result of socio-historical fundamental interaction (Mrquez 90). Languages are dynamic entities, which are constantly evolving to reflect our needs and the state of the societies that we animated in (Bex 26). This is certainly the case for the English language, which has been heavily influenced by many languages throughout history as a result of numerous invasions, proselytism, interest in so-called prestigious languages, and many other factors, with the code-switching that ensued as a result of these having a profound opposition on English. Therefore, this essay will illustrate the permanent impact that language contact has had by looking at how aspects of the English language bi d lexicon, orthography, phonology and place-names have been greatly affected by Englishs interaction with other languages, with particular focus on the influence of the Italic languages of Latin and cut.Regarding lexicon and place-names, Latin has undeniably left a lasting impression on the English language. For instance, Jonathan Culpeper states that the Romans some successful raid under Emperor Claudius in AD 43 was what successfully laid the foundation for the partial Latinisation of many of Britains Celtic place-names (2, 3). composition it remained rare for British place-names to be mostly derived from Latin origins, rare exceptions such as Speen from the Latin Spinis do exist however, one of the most prominent legacies that Latin left occurred through compounding, with certain elements of the names of numerous cities and towns having Latin roots (Nielsen 154, 155). For instance, the suffix -wich in place-names such as Greenwich was derived from the Latin vicus, meaning vill age (Ayers and sanguine 7).Regardless, while Latin certainly had an impact on many British place-names, it also left a more general mark on the English language in the form of borrowed lexicon and loan rowing. According to Culpeper, while early Christian missionaries introduced approximately four hundred and fifty Latin language into experient English through religious texts, and thousands of Latin loans entered the English Language during the Middle English period from areas such as religion, science, right and literature, it was not until the sixteenth century that borrow from Latin and Greek became extremely popular (36, 37), which became a defining feature of Early Modern English (c.1500 17000). This may be explained by the influence of the metempsychosis (c. 1300 1600), which was a time of significant interest in the sciences and arts, and which led to a renewed interest in Latin as the language of scholars, scientists and philosophers (Minkova and Tunberg xxvi). Howeve r, as on that point were no English equivalents for many of the complex scholarly terms featured in these texts, approximately seven-thousand Latin loanwords entered the English language, which often represented abstract concepts, remote English words of Germanic origins (Culpeper 39). Also, several latinate roots have been borrowed numerous times, resulting in doublets for instance, the Latin word sal has inspired numerous English words, including salty and salary (Green 35). Nonetheless, borrowing from Latin decreased after the seventeenth century, mainly collectible to Englishs newfound prestige and status as the language of scholarship (Culpeper 37, 38). Regardless, it is go across to see that Latin has had a profound impact on the English lexicon through thousands of loanwords.On the other hand, because of the Norman invasion of 1066, French became the official language of law and administration in England and, ascribable to its prestigious status as the language of the u pper class and the code-switching that occurred after the invasion, approximately ten-thousand French words associated with warfare, rule, law and fashion (Millar 126) were adopted into the English language during the Middle English period (c. 1100-1500) (Mellinkoff 97). However, while some Norman-French terms completely replaced their Old English counterparts, such destiny replacing wyrd, semantic channel occurred when both terms survived, with an example being the distinction between the Old English house and the French loan hallway (Culpeper 37). However, much handle Latin, French borrowing has been in decline since the upper class stopped speaking French and English became regarded as the new language of administration (Culpeper 37, 38), yet the influence of French has lived on in various levels of borrowings, such as through borrowed food-related lexis like poultry, phrases such as mnage trois, and take a hop morpheme suffixes like -ible (Fromkin et al. 358, 505). Unlike the written lexis of Latin, the fact that French influenced English mostly through spoken vocabulary is significant because it places French loanwords between Germanic and Latinate lexis in that they may convey a mixed register and refer both concrete and abstract concepts (Culpeper 39).However, while Norman-French generally had a small impact on place-names as most British places already had established names by 1066, some elements of French did inspire certain naming practices. For example, the French-speaking grandeur routinely named castles and estates like Belvoir and Malpas directly after landmarks and places in France, Norman scribes substituted sounds for some more familiar to French (which is reflected in the spelling and pronunciation of places such as Cambridge), and the prevalence of double-barrelled named manors like Kingston Lacy can also be attributed to the French aristocracy, who often gave their properties recognisable names to distinguish their manors from others (Mills xvi). Consequently, much like Latin, it is undeniable that French has had an impact on the place-names and lexicon of the English language.Moreover, it may be argued that both languages have had a significant impact on the orthography and, in turn, the phonology of the English language. The fact that English spellings are not always phonemic, for example, may be attributed partly to the move from the Runic first rudiment to the Latin alphabet used by the Romans during the Conversion Period (c. AD 597 AD 735), which meant that there were not enough orthographic counterparts for all of the Old English phonemes, as the Latin alphabet consisted of only twenty-three letters (Culpeper 22). Also, Doreen Scott-Dunne has noted that Latin impacted English orthography and phonology through etymological respellings. For instance, because of the renewed interest in Latin and Greek texts, many Renaissance scholars decided to respell certain words to make them orthographically resemble t heir Latin origins, which is evident in the change of words like the Middle English det to the modern debt, which now more closely resembles the Latin debitum (62). However, while this simply resulted in the addition of silent letters to many words (Scott-Dunne 62), other Latin-inspired spelling changes were mirrored by significant changes in pronunciations. For example, Renaissance scholars often added the letter after in words to make English come forward as prestigious as Latin, which changed lexis like the Old French loan trone to throne (Algeo and Butcher 155). This resulted in a change of pronunciation, with the words first phoneme unfirm from t to nonetheless, this was not a universal change for all words that contained the letter , and words like Anthony did not always change in pronunciation in British English, which exemplifies the fact that language contact can often result in a lack of regularity (Algeo and Butcher 155).Furthermore, French scribes during the Middle En glish period may have caused English spelling variations (House 243), which often led to phonological changes. For instance, the runic symbol , which represented the phoneme w, was scarcely used after 1300, due to it being replaced by the symbols or , which originated in northern France (Culpeper 22). Also, the letter represented a vowel in Middle English, but a consonantal that was say as d appeared during the Middle English period, which is often attributed to the influence of Norman-French (House 241). However, another significant phonological impact occurred because the meaning of French lexis during the Middle Ages encouraged a insulation of voiced and unvoiced fricatives into separate phonemes (Millar 126). While Old English had simply represented f and v as at the start of words and in other positions, the importation of French lexis like voice that began with the phoneme v, along with the desire to speak with a prestigious French accent, meant that graphological distincti ons between the phonemes naturally occurred (Millar 126).Similarly, while lexis such as pump was borrowed from the Latin centrum, the influence of French meant that the grapheme started to represent the phoneme s instead of k in some words (Culpeper 26), leading to a lack of regularisation. Additionally, while Old English had a strict stress pattern, in which stress fell on the first central (not prefix) syllable, the stress pattern of French was variable depending on individually word and, therefore, prosodic changes had to take place during the Middle Ages so that French loanwords could be smoothly integrated into English (Millar 126). However, while etymological respellings of some words took place to show their French origins, scribes sometimes incorrectly assumed the etymology of words like island, meaning a was added to the Middle English iland to make resemble the Old French isle, even though the word was originally from the Old English iegland, and therefore had Germanic r oots (Horobin 112, 113).By and large, the profound influence of Latin and French on the English language exemplifies the fact that languages are not static, and continuously evolve organically in order to meet our linguistic and societal needs. In fact, English itself has already split into separate variations like American English and Australian English, which each have unique variations based on their contact history. Moreover, due to advances in travel and technology, English continues to be shaped and changed by more languages in our modern world, as evidenced by recent additions to the Oxford English lexicon such as dopiaza (dopiaza, n.) and maitake (maitake, n.), which have Hindi and Japanese roots, respectively. Therefore, while syntagmatic, paragigmatic, social and technological changes (including scientific discoveries and the development of the internet) are arguably the primary causes of language change in the twenty-first century (Algeo and Butcher 10), language contact has undeniably had a significant impact on the English language overall, and will most likely continue to play a role in influencing various aspects of the English language for years to come.Works citedAlgeo, John, and Carmen A. Butcher. The Origins and Development of the English Language. Seventh ed. Boston, MA Cengage Learning, 2013. Print.Ayers, Donald M., and R. L. Cherry. English Words from Latin and Greek Elements. Second ed. Ed. Thomas D. Worthen. Tucson, AZ University of Arizona Press, 1986. Print.Bex, Tony. Variety in Written English Texts in Society Societies in Text. London, England Routledge, 1996. Print.Culpeper, Jonathan. History of English. Second ed. London, England Routledge, 2005. Print.dopiaza, n. OED Online. Oxford University Press, December 2016. Web. Accessed 30 December 2016.Fromkin, Victoria, Robert Rodman, and Nina Hyams. An Introduction to Language. Ninth ed. Boston, MA Cengage Learning, 2010. Print.Green, Tamara M. The Greek & Latin Roots of English. Fift h ed. Lanham, MD Rowman & Littlefield, 2014. Print.Horobin, Simon. Does Spelling social function?. Oxford, England Oxford University Press, 2013. Print.House, Linda I. Introductory Phonetics and Phonology A Workbook Approach. Mahwah, NJ Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., 1998. Print.maitake, n. OED Online. Oxford University Press, December 2016. Web. Accessed 30 December 2016.Mrquez, Miguel Fuster. Working with Words An Introduction to English Linguistics. Eds. Miguel Fuster Mrquez and Antonia Snchez. Valncia, Spain University of Valncia, 2011. Print.Mellinkoff, David. The Language of the Law. Eugene, OR Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2004. Print.Millar, Robert McColl. English Historical Sociolinguistics. Edinburgh, England Edinburgh University Press, 2012. Print.Mills, A. D. A Dictionary of British Place-Names. Fourth ed. Oxford, England Oxford University Press, 2011. Print.Minkova, Milena, and Terence Tunberg. Latin for the New Millennium Level 2 Student Text. Vol. 5. Mundelein, IL B olchazy-Carducci Publishers, 2009. Print.Nielsen, Hans Frede. The Continental Backgrounds of English and its Insular Development until 1154. Vol. 1. Odense, Denmark Odense University Press, 1998. Print.Scott-Dunne, Doreen. When Spelling Matters Developing Writers Who Can Spell and Understand Language. Ontario, Canada Pembroke, 2012. Print.

Marketing Analysis of BQ | SWOT

Marketing Analysis of BQ SWOTIntroductionA strategy is developed by a consideration of the resources of the brass section in relation to its environment, the prime purpose being to add value Dobson (2004). According to Stredwick (2008), Strategic analysis is concerned with the strategic position of the organisation. It consists of the organisations values, culture, resources and its environment. It tackles the interest questions what atomic number 18 the key characteristics of the organisation, what changes are going on in the environment, and how leave behinding these affect the organisation and its activities. In addition, a detailed intrinsic and external environmental analysis including an assessment of culture enables the organisation to make a strategic choice and similarly help in the strategic implementation.Therefore, the report will hold different tools much(prenominal) as SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis in relation to Michael Porte r five forces analysis to broad(prenominal)light where BQ (UK) is, and the environment it operates in, is strategic tout ensembley and where it could be in the future and the nature of competition. It looks at internal factors, the strengths and failinges of BQ, and external factors, the opportunities and menaces facing the business. Besides, PESTLE (Political, Economic, Socio- pagan, Technological, Legal and Environmental) analysis is another tool to be used to analyse the large external environment. Johnson (1992) Cultural weathervane will to a fault be used for the assessment of BQ culture.BQ ProfileBQ was the premier(prenominal) national DIY retailer and has been in the DIY business for more than than 30 years. Richard Block and David Quayle (BQ) wanted to bring value, longer bluffing hours and a broader product pass to everyone. In the 1980s it bought the Scottish DIY chain Dodge city and eventually became part of the Kingfisher Group. Today, BQ is the UKs leading DIY and tend centre retailer and its stores offer approximately 40,000 inspirational hearth avail and garden products for the homemaker, occasional to serious DIY and sell professionals.Swot Analysis of BQ UKStrengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities Threats (SWOT) analysis is a tool of environmental s lavning aimed at analysing both the internal (strengths and weaknesses) and external environment (i.e. opportunities and threats) to see whether the organisation crapper seize new opportunities given its strengths and face new threats despite its weaknesses. thusly, a SWOT analysis is a well-rounded analysis which goes well beyond the internal environment.StrengthsLeading discolouration and obedient reputationBQ is the turn of events one leading brand in the UK and is twice the size of its competitor. It has a grocery size of 31bn as regard to the size of repair, maintenance and improvement marketplace. Being the number one position in the UK market, BQ has a major strength as they are onward of their rivals. Furthermore, BQs reputation is strong and popular which means people view it with respect and believe in it, for example, BQ is supporting Prince Charles in his Preserve the Rainforest.Increased market luckBQ has a market share of 14% where it employs 22,602 employees and has 321 stores in the UK (http//www.kingfisher.co.uk/index.asp?pageid=33 accessed 19/10/10. Thus, BQ will continue to grow in the home improvement and garden sector. Their change magnitude market share is a key to their success as it boosts reputation, profit and the value of the organisation.Constantly creating new, differentiated, Innovative and wide range of ProductsBQ offer around 40,000 products in stores. BQ in like manner has its strong own-label such as BQ car boot protector, BQ Foot pump and so on. BQ has innovative, well displayed products and they are also continuing with their renewal political program which includes updating product ranges such as launching their first fair- switch products and designing more eco-products.Thus, BQs innovation keeps it a front-runner in the home improvement and garden centre as it is regularly re-launching and designing new products. Hence, having a product differentiation strategy makes BQ at a bankrupt competitive advantage.SitesBQ has some good positions and new brusking opportunities. BQ has 321 stores in the UK. They also encourage more eco stores such as their eco flagship store is located in New Malden and boasts innovative developments such as 108 underground bore holes, 100 metres deep which heat and cool the store with energy from the earth. to a greater extentover, for the first year 2010/11 half progress, three large and 1 medium stores revamp (kingfisher strategy progress, March 2010). Thus, this is a strength which shows the overall performance of the BQ.Adding value to the organisationAdopting Michael Porter (1985) value chain concept through all its primary and supporting activities, BQ Deliveri ng Value programme of self-help initiatives is working well, meaning now it generates significantly higher profits and cash flow from its trading operations and a much better return on capital for its shareholders www.kingfisher.com.Technological strengthsBQ defecate embraced technological advancement in their business. For example, it has their own website where customers can shop on outline namely, www.diy.com, thus facilitating e-commerce. In addition, BQ intra dough facility also helps in improving its internal communication dodge where polity and procedures of the company can be accessed to all employees. Furthermore, on the 4th august 2010, BQ has launched its first iDIY APPS which makes it easier for customers to get the job done by having BQ experts available for them whenever needed. It is new at apple store and free to download for I phone and I pad users. Moreover, a range of green technologies have incorporated into new stores at BQ.Good customer relationship manag ementMore than three million customers come at BQ (UK) doors every week. Thus, BQ has an extensive customer base, which is a major strength regarding sales and profit. Besides, BQ defy their customers by giving them the probability to create, design their own product according to their taste. BQ offer different types of discount for regular shoppers which also help in customer retention such as the diamond card which offer 10 % discount off to the over 60s every Wednesday off selected purchases or products, conduct Discount Card which also offers discounts for trade customers and Corporate Gift Cards which receive discounts for bulk spending.Effective Human Resource PracticesBQ has been awarded again for the fourth year running the Gallup best workplace award. Besides, on the 22nd June 2010, BQ UK also scoops the top award at institute of internal communications www.kingfisher.com. BQ UK is also recognised for its constant emphasis on employee training in order to improve custome r satisfaction. For example, 15 500 employees of BQ UK have completed a Retail Skills Level 2 NVQ or Home Improvement intimacy Qualification awarded by City Guilds.BQ has a very experienced workforce which drives the organisation with knowledge and expertise. In general, we can therefore comment that BQ UK concentrate on the soft side of human resource management. They invest in people through good communications, teaming and training.A participative management styleBQ has an organic or flatter organisational structure which reflects its culture. Employees are empowered and have freedom of expressing new ideas. Thus, BQ unlocks the potential of its employees. At BQ, they have been busy laying the foundations for future growth. For example, they recently launched a Dragons Den-style instrument panel to help them filter new innovative and imaginative ideas from staff which is called the Innovation Den. This, therefore, encourages a culture of entrepreneurship and empowerment.Finan cial resourcesBQ has ameliorate their financial performance this can be proved by the key performance indicators such as the operating security deposit which has increased from 2.8% in 08/09 to 4.9% in 09/10. Thus, the rigorous focus on generating improved cash flow from operations, reducing the investment in working capital, whilst tightening controls over capital expenditure, has yielded a significant reduction in financial net debt www.kingfisher.com Effective prodigality and recycling managementReducing waste help to improve efficiency of organisation, thus, so far BQ has 48 % less carbon emitted from waste. They have tried to manage their production in a systematic agency through the use of technology. They encourage customers to return old products and package for recycling.Low threat of new entrance (one piece of Porters five forces analysis)Being the market leader, having a market size of 31bn, concentrating on product differentiation economies of scale having cost adv antages having high capital requirements and being part of kingfisher, the third largest home improvement retailer in the world, BQ, has low threat of new competitors.Bargaining power of suppliers one fixings of Porters five forces analysisBQ maintain strong relationship with their suppliers, for instance, ensuring that their suppliers allow them with eco-friendly products. Thus, the bargaining power of their suppliers is low, which makes BQ having a competitive advantage.WeaknessesAs per kingfisher business review, august 2010, BQ interchangeable to like sales has increased on seasonal products such as garden products however, one weakness will be that sales of garden product will be reduced due to winter weather which will discourage customers to invest in their gardens.BQ website, diy.com, has a poor e-commerce ratings as they were ranked bottom overall, with customer scans of 50%. In addition, the site got only two star ratings for hurt and product out of five stars. Further more, they also have delivery issues from over packaging and delays to time slots which shows how BQ is wasting both its time and resources and also reveals their inability to adapt quickly to change.OpportunitiesBQ is to expand its offer in to the trade market, with the triumphant trial of Trade Point stores in nine of its large UK branches.As customer tastes keep changing, for example many people prefer to use eco-friendly products, thus an opportunity will be to broaden BQs customer by offering several trials of new or expanded product categories.Thus, this will expand the product/service lines by BQ which could help them to raise sales and increase their product portfolio. In addition, products which are cash generators and are at the maturity stage on the product manners cycle can finance the rising star at the growth stage and even the question mark that are at the introduction phase.To open more eco-stores, thus, meeting the companys aim of being a sustainable business.Integ rate advanced ICT (information communication technology) in business process to improve efficiency and intensity such as having an ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) system.Reinforce its web design to facilitate effectiveness e-commerce.Redesigned and reduced the size of packaging on a number of illumine products, removing significant amounts of plastic and polystyrene. This will help in handling waste appropriately.Further international growth. BQ has several stores in the UK and Ireland. It also operates in china.BQ has a number of highly skilled staff, which is an opportunity for them to explore as expertise of their staff can help B Q to bring the business forward.ThreatsIndustry Rivalry (one element of Porter five forces analysis)Focus (DIY) Limited Wickes and Homebase Limited are the top UK industry rivalry. Homebase limited is the second market leader in home improvement and garden centre retailer in the UK.Homebase with its sister company Argos (750 stores) booming rapidly , shows a recorded sales figure of 1.57 billion 2009/10 and profit margin was 41.2 million 2009/10 (www.homebase.co.uk). Although, BQ are going to open some Trade points, Homebase has already a robust turn in chain partnership with Argos. Being the first one to introduce loyalty cards, Homebase have an advantage in retaining customers. Homebase allow customers to collect and redeem ambrosia points. Even BQ has a system of processing nectar points, but this is available only on their website, even though, points are spent, not collected. In addition, Homebase is also recognised for choice, style and customer service across the wider home enhancement market.In addition, according to the Observer (31st October 2010, by Zoo Wood), analysts verdict stated that Homebase is planning to buy Focus (DIY) limited, if the acquisition is confirmed, BQ would be facing volumed competitive challenges, and may even lose its number one market position in the UK. Thus, the nature of competition wher e BQ operates is fierce.Tax increases can place additional financial burdens on BQChanges in the way consumers shop and spend and other changing consumer patterns could be a threat to BQs performanceFor example, during the recession, many customers buying conduct pattern changes, most likely, they will not spend money in home improvement or garden products. In addition, wallpapers colour paint can also be changed according to the colour fashion trend.BQ could be threatened by the high bargaining power of customers that they can fascinate BQ pricing strategies.BQ is hypersensitised to slowing UK housing market.For example, in the UK, sales declined by 2.6% to 4.3bn in March 2009, as the recession hit consumers upgrading their homes. In addition, Kingfisher state that UK home improvement market has fallen down which will not only affect the sales, but will also affect the companys profitability and performance. http//news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7965018.stm accessed 19/10/10.Ultima tely, when strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats are identified, BQ implement the three strategies which can be formulated a) matching strategies match strengths with opportunities b) conversion strategies converting threats into opportunities and/or weaknesses into strengths c) creative strategies they can also be creative and try to identify hidden strengths.PESTLE Analysis of BQPESTLE (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, legal issues and Environmental) analysis is used as a tool to analyse the external big environment. It deals with those six factors that affect the organisation. Although the items in a PESTLE analysis rely on past events and experience, the analysis can be used as a forecast of the future. Besides, Kotler (1998) claims that PESTLE analysis is a useful strategic tool for understanding market development or decline, business position, prospective and direction for operationsPolitical FactorsEmployment legislationAccording to Balchin (1994), For employment legislations, the government supports retailers to provide a mix of job opportunities from flexible, lower-paid and locally-based jobs to highly-skilled, higher-paid and centrally-located jobs.BQ has a flexible workforce of 60% BQ does provide work for a diverse of people, such as students people aged 45 plus and under 25. In addition, increasing the retirement age up to 66 year old by 2020 will make BQ to review its HR policies to formulate new strategies.Besides, due to the increase of tax (VAT 20%), BQ terms strategies need to be reviewed.However, BQ has requested to the government and European Commission to reduce the VAT to 5% on energy saving products to make it low-cost to all www.diy.com .BQ is working in partnership with the government to promote sustainable growthFor example, BQ is helping the Government Launch of the Green Loan Pilot Scheme where BQ is partnering the capital of the United Kingdom Borough of Sutton in an experiment of the governments new (PAYS ) Pay as You Save Scheme www.crp-news.com . Besides, BQ is helping the government to provide security equipment at reasonable prices and as affordable as possible to secure 45,000 homes. Government also offers BQ with vouchers to help in preventing burglary (National Security). Thus, having a good relationship with the government may help BQ in the future, such as having tax breaks, good public relations and strengthen their reputation.Economic FactorsEconomic factors are of concern to BQ, as they are likely to influence strike, costs, prices and profits. hotshot of the most significant factors of the economy is high unemployment levels which have mainly increased due to the recession. The recession causing an increase in unemployment has decreased the effective demand for many goods, adversely affecting the demand required to produce such goods. For example, in 2008 the UK home improvement market declined by around 4% as the economic environment worsened, impacting consumer spendi ng. BQ was badly affected by the weak housing market, that have do them concentrate on different marketing strategies of how to attract retain or acquire the customers.BQ gross domestic product (Gross Domestic Product) estimates for 2010 is 1.5 %This really shows the contribution BQ has made to boost the economy by producing its product within the countrys border. A positive GDP also indicates an avenue for economic growth which leads to higher living standards and greater prosperity for individuals. It also supports businesses to be profitable, which creates employment and income.Increase interest rates by 4% in 2011 and an increase in inflation rates will affect both BQ and the consumers.Therefore, the economy is likely to experience falls in function and investment.Social FactorsShifts in values, culture and life sentencestyleNorms, values and paradigms form the socio-cultural environment. They have impact on corporate strategies. For example, there has been a shift of lifesty le where straight off people are more concerned of the environment issues occurring, such as the Green House Effect, the widening gap of the ozone layer, and so on, thus, they are more inclined(predicate) to consume eco-friendly products which help in maintaining a sustainable environment.Thus, to adapt with this socio-cultural shift, has pushed BQ towards the being responsible to the environment and support ethical behaviour. For example, they have designed new eco products and open new eco stores by using green technologies, such as QUEST environmental management system. In addition, BQ social responsibleness which can reflect upon its culture, are divided into four section Their diversity strategy (value of respect for people), Environmental impact (life cycle and make up of products) Ethical (how and where to buy our products) and Community (their better neighbourhood approach).Demographic changesDemographic changes such as the ageing population and an increase in female work ers have made BQ to review its employment policy, for example, this made them concentrate on benefits offered to older workforce.In addition, having an ageing population has also influenced BQ in developing different marketing strategies to retain older customers such as the diamond discount card which offer 10 % discount off to the over 60s. seminal fluidHogarth, T. and Michael C. Barth (1991)Moreover, families are nowadays having fewer children, and having an ageing population, will top in a shortage of skilled labours in the market. Thus, this had led to the recent introduction of legislations such as the entrepreneurs visa, point-based systems and working visa. Therefore, BQ should acknowledged these changes and review its employment policy accordingly.EducationIn order to promote children skills, BQ has launched its nationwide job done initiative by teaching children DIY skills as a curriculum for the future. In addition, to trail both women and men astir(predicate) the use of DIY tools, BQ has introduced its IDIY apps.Technological FactorsTechnology is a major micro environmental factor which has influenced the development of BQ products and services. The new technologies benefit both customers and the company customer satisfaction increases as products are readily available, services can become more personalised and shopping more convenient (Data manage Report, 2003). BQ utilises the following technologiesNew tracking technology BQ is using TaqMan operation campaign technologyDecorating card technologyVariety use of low carbon technologies including solar panels and ground source heat pumps for New Malden eco store. And, in the future, solar system can be used in most homes as a switch for gas and electric heating.BQ joined SEDEX- a web-based system that provides a membership based data exchange where it provides them with greater visibility at all levels of their supply chain.Legal FactorsMany government legislations and policies have a direct infl uence on the performance of BQ. For instance, Kingfisher retail board ensures that BQ adopt the code of practice to countenance ethical business practices among its employees, suppliers, contractors and investors. For example, BQ has an anti-bribery and corruption policies and procedures in the light of the new UK Bribery Act 2010. The existence of powerful competitors with reputable brands generates a threat of intense price wars and robust requirements for product differentiation. The governments policies for monopoly controls and reduction of buyers power can limit entry to this sector with such controls as license requirements and limits on access to raw materials (Mintel Report, 2004 Myers, 2004). Thus to device politically correct pricing policies, BQ set reasonable prices for its products.Environmental FactorsIn 2003, there has been greater pressure on many companies and managers to recognise their responsibility to society, and act in a way which benefits society overall (Li ndgreen and Hingley, 2003). Thus, in 2008, BQ signed a three year partnership with BioRegional to move towards becoming a One Planet Living business in order to reduce its impact on the worlds resources. BQ is awarded chain-of-custody certification for both set Stewardship Council (FSC) and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification schemes (PEFC).In addition, Graiser and Scott (2004) state that in 2003 the government has planned to introduce a new strategy for sustainable consumption and production to minimise waste reduce consumption of resources and minimise environmental damage.Thus, this has pushed BQ in developing strategies such as making use of a new supplier measurement system call QUality-Ethics-SafeTy (QUEST) to ensure that the green policy is respected in accordance to the sustainability standards.However, BQ commitment is that they will force all timber products to be source certified, and also developed enforcing principles to engage its environmental campa ign on suppliers. In this circumstance, question can be asked about power relations between BQ and suppliers could other companies do what BQ is doing? Do BQ have that much power which it holds over its supply base? According to New (2003), he states that BQ does not have that power to change the way the supplier operates as green purchasing policies would vary between firms context.Assessment of BQ CultureAccording to CWL Hill G R Jones (2001), an organisational culture is the specific compendium of values and norms that are shared by people and groups in an organisation and that control the way they interact with each other and with stakeholders outside the organisation.Cultural onion plantWhat is right and proper?What the organisation should seek to achieve?The basic assumptions of the groupThe way we do things around hereCulture can be compared to an onion with three layers. understand Cultural Onion source Trompenaars Hampden-Turner (1997)Cultural WebOne of the most commonl y used ways of making sense of an organisations culture is to use the cultural web (Johnson, 1992). It is a schematic representation of the elements of an organisations culture in such a way that we can see how each element influences the paradigm. The cultural web theory is also a useful analysis for management as it represents the fundamental assumptions related to political, symbolic and structural aspect of the organisation.Figure cultural web. Source Johnson (1992)Cultural web theory application is an effective tool in assessing the cultural environment for BQ. As mention before, the cultural onion contains layers of norms, values, and paradigm and also the ways of doing business within and outside the company. Hence, the concept of cultural web is the demonstration of these actions taken for granted for understanding how they associate and influence the strategy (Veliyath and Fitzgerald, 2000 Johnson and Scholes, 2003). It is also used to bridge the gap between actual and des ired culture through adaption of future strategies.Culture can be examined through the interpretations of how the organisation behaves, including, rituals, stories, structures, routines and systems. This shows the clues about the taken-for-granted assumptions (Paradigm).BQ has a very friendly, welcoming and supporting approach in the routine ways that shows how staffs behave towards each other, and towards those outside the company that can make up the way people do things.The control systems and measurements are continually under the management review to display the competence of the staff and bosses decisions. For instance, control systems on its attribute of service, its strong environmental supply chain system, and the behavioural control of its staffs by having a good HR policy.The rituals of the organisations life are, corporate gatherings, the special events which BQ stresses what is mostly significant and reinforce the way things are done.Symbols represent different basics such as Titles, Logos, uniforms or the type of language and expressions commonly used which becomes a tachygraphy image of the nature of the organization. BQ has already a recognised eye catching Orange colour as its logo as well as its uniforms. The brand and the logo signify a lot to people inside and outside the organisation. Nevertheless, BQ is recognised for using similar orange colour logo and store layout from the American giant DIY retailer, Home Depot, thus, the question is how innovative and unique is BQ as regard to its logo and brand positioning? What will happen to BQ if Home Depot comes into UK market?Power Structures are the core assumptions that contribute to the paradigm and are likely to be made by the most powerful management groupings in the organisation. And, as for BQ, its power relies in the environmental and ethics department, how to make people more committed to the environment and as well as to develop their core values. never-ending meetings and communic ation at every level of the organisations hierarchy signify a strong internal environment and a flat (organic) organisational structure.ConclusionThe report entails a detailed environmental analysis of BQ including an assessment of culture. BQ had adopted influential identities by making their DIY model into a virus and outlaying it out into the culture via a range of channels cultural sponsorship, consumer experience, political controversy, and brand extensions.The report has used mainly SWOT and PESTLE to conduct the environmental analysis. Although they are powerful tool for analysis, they do have some limitations. For example, they are only good for the person who makes it. For instance, in SWOT analysis strength can be seen as a weakness by another person. Thus, it lacks of validity and reliability. However, conducting an environmental analysis will help to formulate generic strategies for the company to have a competitive advantage.Furthermore, the industry life cycle can also be viewed as an extension of PESTLE analysis as it is a way of showing how certain PESTLE factors influence the development of an industry over time. For example, it was the changes of PESTLE factors that caused BQ to move from growth to maturity and back again.Besides, due to a dynamic environment, strategy formulation should be viewed as a route to continuous learning. The excellence of a formulated strategy and the speed of its implementation will hence depend on the quality of BQs knowing and behavioural learning processes.

The Death of my Father Essay -- Autobiography Essay, Personal Narrative

Everyone has milestone days in his/her life that change the direction of his/her life for relegate or worse. Let me tell you one of my experiences that I will never forget from when I was 12 years old. It was Friday night, I took a shower, and one of my aunts came into the nates and told me that my dad was sick but he was going to be ok. She told me that so I did not worry. I finished taking a bath, and I nowadays went to my daddys house to see what was going on. My dad was throwing-up blood, and he could not breath very well. One of my aunts cried and prayed at the same time. I felt up worried because she only does that when something bad is going to happen. More people were trying to help my dad until the doctor came. Everybody cried, and I was confused because I thought it was however a stomachache. I asked one of my older brothers if my dad was going to be ok, but he did not answer my question and push me away. My body offend to see him dying, and I to ok his hand and told him not to give up. The only thing that I heard from him was, Daughters go to auntie...

Vaccinations: A Clear Benefit Essay -- essays research papers

A clear definition of a vaccination is, the generic term for immunization procedures. immunisation is a procedure whereby living or nonliving materials ar introduced into the body (Nosal, 1999) The concept that people who survive an infectious disease do not get the same disease again is the basis for the administering of vaccinations. Vaccines are normally given to healthy individuals for the prevention of diseases. Vaccines work by using a human host to provide a stimulus to the immune system. Immunization is used for viral and bacterial diseases. Rappuolli reports and predicts, Vaccines result not only be used to prevent infections, besides also to therapeutic chronic infectious diseases, tumors, diseases and allergies. (1999) dismantle though there are risks involved with being vaccinated, there is no doubt that vaccines have been the most effective means of combating deadly infectious diseases end-to-end the twentieth century.Vaccinations were developed or discovered in 1796 when Edward Jenner, a doctor in England, noted that the farmers infected with materials from cows did not develop small pox, but instead were immune to the disease. Today, vaccinations are available for a variety of life threatening or life altering diseases such as smallpox, rabies, salmonella, tuberculosis, diphtheria, yellow fever, tetanus, pertussis, polio, influenza, cholera, measles, mumps, rubella, meningococcus, tick-borne encephalitis, pneumococcus, hepatitis B, hepatitis A, varicella, lyme disease, and rotavirus. Vaccines are more commonly given to infants today to immunize early. Already there are more vaccines in development for infectious diseases such as cancer, hepatitis C, papillomavirus, and helicobacter pylori. With these vaccines, tumors will be dramatically decreased. So instead of regarding vaccinations as a painful childhood experience, they should be perceived as tools used in the prevention and cure of diseases.Therefore, the hazards of vaccinations have to be weighed against the benefits of immunization. Immunization has lowered the reported cases of diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, (DPT), measles, mumps, rubella, (MMR), tuberculosis, and meningitis. A notable decrease in the number of cases of measles, hepatitis B, and polio were noticed after vaccinations started being administered. The hepatitis B vaccine was introduced in 1989. Before the vaccine was availabl... ...2, 2005, from Info Track database.Makela, J., Nuorti, P., Peltola, H. (2002). Neurologic disorders after measles-mumps-rubellaVaccination. 110 (5), 957-972. Retrieved March 12, 2005 from Info Trac database.Nossal, Gustav (July 1999) Vaccination. In Nature Encyclopedia of living Sciences. London Nature Publishing Group. http//www/els.net doi10.1038/npg.els.0000489Rappuoli, Rino (August 1999) Vaccinations of Humans. In Nature Encyclopedia of LifeSciences. London Nature Publishing Group. httpwww.els.net doi10.1038/npg.els.0000961Richards, S. (2004). An update on child hood vaccinations. primeval Health Care, 14(10), 22-25. Retrieved March 12, 2005, from Info Traci database.US nurses oppose smallpox vaccinations (2003). Australian Nursing Journal, 10(8), 13.Retrieved March 12, 2005, from Info Trac database.Zepf, B. (2005) Do childhood vaccinations cause type 1 diabetes? American Family Physician,71 (3), 583. Retrieved March 12, 2005 from Info Trac database.Zimmerman, R. (2000). Child vaccination, part 1routine vaccinations. Journal of Family Practice, 49,(9), 22-33. Retrieved March 12, 2005, from EBSCOhost database.

Henry Adams :: essays research papers

The Education of the Henry Adams reviews Adams&8217s and the United States&8217s education and growth during the 19th century. Adams was an old man who had puritan beliefs about sex and religion. In this autobiography, Adams voices his skepticism about man&8217s newfound power to control the direction of history, in particular, the exploding world of science and technology, where only certainties of the future have vanished (anb.org, 1).Adams grew up in the United Stated where he was a Puritan. Puritans believed that sex (women especially) was just a form of fertility and reproduction other than &8220sex was a sin (Adams, 384). &8220American art, like the American language and American education, was as cold as possible sexless (Adams, 385). The only sculptures and paintings of women that Adams viewed with understanding were those like the sodding(a) Mary, who was always seen as non-sexual. For example, &8220America was ashamed of her&8230have strewn fig-leaves so profusely all everyplace her (Adams, 384). However, during this time of the technology revolution, women were beginning to be viewed differently, especially in Europe. Women were viewed as beautiful and mortal beings. People such as Rodin were representing women in paintings and sculptures sexually. Sex was becoming something more than just a means of reproduction. Suddenly Adams was far, far away from his Puritan custom-bound life.People were no longer motivated by religion, being saved by God, and going to heaven science, technology, money, and power had taken over the drives of man. Religion (a common &8220scale of the past) had taken the backseat to science, technology, money, power, and the new ideas and art of sex (all new &8220scales of the present and the future). &8220In opposition to the medieval Virgin, Adams saw a new cleric&8212the dynamo&8212symbol of the modern history&8217s anarchic energies (anova.org, 1). Adams desperately wanted to learn about the new world of technology, the &8220dynamos, yet he felt baffled to find this new knowledge and to comprehend it.Adams was overwhelmed by the technology of the dynamos. When Adams saw the dynamo, it became a symbol of the future, of infinity (Adams, 380).

John Stuart Mills Philosophy of Happiness Essay -- John Stuart Mill P

John Stuart Mills philosophical system of satisfaction Along with other noned philosophers, John Stuart Mill developed the nineteenth century school of thought known as Utilitarianism - the contention that world should jurist everything in life based upon its ability to promote the greatest individual rapture. While Bentham, in particular, is acknowledged as the philosophys founder, it was Mill who reassert the axiom through reason. He maintained that because human beings are endowed with the ability for conscious thought, they are non scarce satisfied with physical pleasures manhood strive to achieve pleasures of the mind as well. Once man has ascended to this high intellectual level, he desires to stay there, never fall to the lower level of reality from which he began. In Chapter 2 of Utilitarianism, Mill contends that pleasure, and freedom from pain, are the except things desirable as ends (Mill, 7). Before addressing his argument, Mill defines the topic, The creden ce which accepts as the foundation of morals, inferior, or the Greatest Happiness Principle, holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to perplex the reverse of happiness. By happiness is intended pleasure, and the absence of pain by unhappiness, pain, and the privation of pleasure (Mill, 7). Like a accredited philosopher, Mill proposes objections to the utilitarian principle, which he then attempts to refute. Pleasure, according to Mill, has rather arrogantly been regarded as being little more than attempting to keep a pig satisfied. Because man has the intellectual capacity for reason, he should aspire for something more. Mill argues that is exactly what man does. He does non yet attempt to seek momentary pleasure, but in utilitarianism, has the option to choose that which provides him with the or so pleasure. According to Mill, Of two pleasures, if there be one to which all or almost all who have experience of twain g ive a intractable preference, irrespective of any feeling of moral obligation to prefer it, that is the more desirable pleasure (Mill 8). Many have refuted Utilitarianisms ideals and declared that man jakes live just as well without happiness. Mill acknowledges that this may be true in theory, that men do not conduct their lives in entirety pursuit of happiness, they still need a gauge with which to measure morality. Happiness ... ...This, however, being a fact, we have not only all the proof which the miscue admits of, but all which it is possible to require that happiness is a good (Mill 27). Simply, the normal rules concerning ones desire for happiness do not apply. Happiness may mean different things to different people but as long as the quest of these desires do not inflict pain on others, this is an acceptable representation to an end. Mill is ultimately successful in that he points out that contrary to popular belief, utilitarianism is not a completely selfish pauperi sm that does not take into consideration the desires of others. Virtue, while not completely synonymous with happiness, is a constituent of it. Thus, it is an attribute desirable to association as a whole. adept who causes pain in others cannot be described as virtuous. In the final analysis, John Stuart Mill successfully proved his take up by noting that happiness is not a completely comprehensive term. It is comprised of many components and represents different things to different people. Whether one is intent on wealthy, famous, or vituous, he is merely exercising different means to the same end which includes pleasures and freedom from pains. John Stuart Mills Philosophy of Happiness Essay -- John Stuart Mill PJohn Stuart Mills Philosophy of Happiness Along with other noted philosophers, John Stuart Mill developed the nineteenth century philosophy known as Utilitarianism - the contention that man should judge everything in life based upon its ability to promo te the greatest individual happiness. While Bentham, in particular, is acknowledged as the philosophys founder, it was Mill who justified the axiom through reason. He maintained that because human beings are endowed with the ability for conscious thought, they are not merely satisfied with physical pleasures humans strive to achieve pleasures of the mind as well. Once man has ascended to this high intellectual level, he desires to stay there, never descending to the lower level of existence from which he began. In Chapter 2 of Utilitarianism, Mill contends that pleasure, and freedom from pain, are the only things desirable as ends (Mill, 7). Before addressing his argument, Mill defines the topic, The creed which accepts as the foundation of morals, Utility, or the Greatest Happiness Principle, holds that actions are right in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of happiness. By happiness is intended pleasure, and the absence of pain by unhappiness, pain, and the privation of pleasure (Mill, 7). Like a true philosopher, Mill proposes objections to the utilitarian principle, which he then attempts to refute. Pleasure, according to Mill, has rather arrogantly been regarded as being little more than attempting to keep a pig satisfied. Because man has the intellectual capacity for reason, he should aspire for something more. Mill argues that is exactly what man does. He does not merely attempt to seek momentary pleasure, but in utilitarianism, has the option to choose that which provides him with the most pleasure. According to Mill, Of two pleasures, if there be one to which all or almost all who have experience of both give a decided preference, irrespective of any feeling of moral obligation to prefer it, that is the more desirable pleasure (Mill 8). Many have refuted Utilitarianisms ideals and declared that man can live just as well without happiness. Mill acknowledges that this may be true in theory, that men do not conduct their lives in total pursuit of happiness, they still need a gauge with which to measure morality. Happiness ... ...This, however, being a fact, we have not only all the proof which the case admits of, but all which it is possible to require that happiness is a good (Mill 27). Simply, the normal rules concerning ones desire for happiness do not apply. Happiness may mean different things to different people but as long as the quest of these desires do not inflict pain on others, this is an acceptable means to an end. Mill is ultimately successful in that he points out that contrary to popular belief, utilitarianism is not a completely selfish motivation that does not take into consideration the desires of others. Virtue, while not completely synonymous with happiness, is a constituent of it. Thus, it is an attribute desirable to society as a whole. One who causes pain in others cannot be described as virtuous. In the final analysis, John Stuart Mill successfully prove d his view by noting that happiness is not a completely comprehensive term. It is comprised of many components and represents different things to different people. Whether one is intent on wealthy, famous, or vituous, he is merely exercising different means to the same end which includes pleasures and freedom from pains.

Paleolithic Art Essay -- Essays Papers

Paleolithic ArtPaleolithic art, dating back to the late Paleolithic stopp get along with 40,000-10,000 B.C. (the Stone Age), is one of the most beautiful, natural periods of cave art and clay sculptures. Created by Nomadic hunters and gatherers with ivory, wood, and bone, these figures were thought to be symbolic and have some wizardly or ritual relevance. Figures and drawings have been found in all parts of the earthly concern dating back to the Cro-Magnon man as late as 60,000 old age ago.There are two different periods of overlapping periods. The first, dating between 14,000-13,500 B.C., is the Aurignacio-Perigordian. This period included the contents of the Lauscaux cave paintings, the many sculptures at Laussel, and the voluptuous womanish figures called Venuses (Columbia Press, 1). The second, named the Solutres-Magdalenian period, dating back to 14,000-9,500 B.C., includes murals of Rouffignac and Niaux, and the ceiling decors in Spain (Columbia Press, 1).Paleolithic art falls into two distinct categories portable pieces and cave art. Portable art was carved from bone, stone, or modeled from clay. Most has been found in Europe, Africa, and Siberia (Encarta, 1). The cave art comprised mostly of drawings and paintings recovered in mostly Spain and France (Versaware, 1). A possible third art course is mentionable alike. Rock art is comprised of carvings and drawings on rock surfaces, but little of this art has been discovered (Encarta, 1). This form of art has founded many of todays drawings, languages, and cultures. The first uncovering was in the 1860s by French Paleontologist, Eduard Lartet. The decorations were estimated back to the Stone Age because of the use of Ice Age animal bones. Researchers soon were digging everywhere in search of objects, ignoring cave drawings (Encarta, 1). In the 1880s, a landowner discovered a cave in Spain filled with art and structural objects. Hiding it at first, researchers revealed it to the world that helped pe ople learn to accept cave art for what it really was, an art. Many sites were uncovered shortly after, dating back to over 32,000 years (Versaware, 1).Since 1981, archeologists have also found art outside of the caves such as engravings of humans, horses, and cattle, which were most 20,000 years old. Paleolithic findings, if surviving erosion, are now becoming more common throughout the world (Columbia, 1).... ...ed spray paint, which was blown either out of a tube or out of their mouths (Versaware, 1). Because they had none of the advantages that we have today, their creations, which was more difficult to fully complete, crapper be considered a precious, unique works of art.To be sure that these items are genuinely prehistoric, radiocarbon dating was used (Encarta, 4). Scientists can determine the true age from only a tiny amount of pigment in the paint. One of the oldest, found in Europe and Asia, was carved in ivory and dates back to about 32,000 years. Another, discovered in England in 1996, was found to be about 60,000 years old (Columbia, 1) Few endure erosion, but the survivors make excellent timelines of the eras that remain unclear to researchers.This beautiful Stone Age present to our time suggests that art was visible and practiced from close to the beginning of time. The decorated caves and figures have helped us learn of other cultures and their distinctive expressions of life-forms. Still indistinct about the main purpose of this creative art form, archaeologists continue to dig and discover new pieces that may add to the picture and help to solve this ongoing puzzle.