Friday, November 15, 2019
The Genre Of Documentary Photography
The Genre Of Documentary Photography In his examination of Lt. Col. Oliver L. Norths portrait, taken by Harry Benson for Life Magazine (1987), Andy Grundberg (1988) emphasizes the importance of the camera position, background elements and attitude of the subject towards a heroic appearance, even though the reality was somewhat different, visible in another, less interesting news photograph of Colonel North facing the full house of Congress. The juxtaposition of the two photographs makes one think of the kind of information photographs leave behind. Is it an actual reflection of the actuality or something more interpretable and selective? Putting this into the perspective of the pre-photographic history one could say that photographs are better representations of the historical events than say, paintings or drawings. Nevertheless this is not entirely true because photography can also be biased exactly as a painting using different capturing techniques, angles, and recently computer aided photo manipulation which makes everything so much easier to tamper with. John Griersons which is generally accepted as being the father of the documentary genre characterized it as the creative treatment of actuality. The first question that comes to my mind is why did he use the term actuality and not reality? For this we have to take a look at the definition of actuality. According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary actual means existing in fact or reality. In my opinion reality is what you interpret and you think something is, and actuality is what it really is by looking at the facts. Reality and actuality are strongly connected and one can say that reality is what you perceive from actuality. John Tagg (p.172, 1988) argued that It is not a question of the struggle for truth but, rather, of a struggle around the status of truth and the economic and political role it plays. One of the iconic photographs that apply to this statement is Dorothea Langes Migrant Mother and the extensive debates around the truthfulness of the photograph. Is it that important that the photograph was staged, edited and cropped or not? The point is that even though it might be a staged photograph it still conveys the reality of the time. Lange was sent on assignment for the Farms Security Administration to document the poverty of the share-croppers. The story she associated with the image was not entirely true but it efficiently showed the condition of the migrant workers. It is arguable that the changes made to the original Migrant Mother photograph created the notoriety of the image (i.e. the editing out of the thumb, and the possible staging of the photograph). If we look at some of the other images from the shoot we can see clearly that at least one of the children is smiling. This could lead to the belief that Lange posed the two children with their faces behind her mother to hide their light heartedness. The final portray and the iconic image of the Migrant Mother is relating to what Grierson refers as creative treatment of actuality and nevertheless a reality for everyone who saw the image at the time. Another very well-known photograph which had a lot of debate whether is true or not, is one made by Duane Michals called This Photograph is My Proof. Duane admittedà [1]à he is gay in many of his interviews, so how can this photograph be true? He realised he is gay before his 20s and the photograph is taken when he was in his 30s thus leading us to think the photograph was staged. Tagg (p.16, 1993) argued that The camera seems to declare: This really happened. The camera was there. See for yourself. Ask yourself under what conditions would a photograph of the Loch Ness Monster or an Unidentified Flying Object become acceptable as proof of their existence? It seems that for Tagg the actuality of a photograph can only be proven by other means and not only by the photo on itself. The general belief is that photography is an objective medium able to portray an objective reality, but if we think about it one photograph is just one point of view. Just by changing the angle in which you take the photograph you can change its whole meaning. Edward Weston and Paul Strand were among the ones that strongly believed the mechanical nature of the camera is the most powerful argument for the truthfulness of photographs. In the book On photography, Sontag argues that (p176, To us, the difference between the photographer as an individual eye and the photographer as an objective recorder seems fundamental, the difference often regarded, mistakenly, as separating photography as art from photography as document. But both are logical extensions of what photography means: note-taking on, potentially, everything in the world, from every possible angle. This approach suggests that every image taken for artistic purposes or for recording purposes has a documentary quality. It means that even though someone took a photograph for aesthetic purposes its still a recording, but from another point of view. She further explains that the two attitudes underlie the presumption that anything in the world is material to the camera. If we could photograph the same subject from every angle by many different creative eyes we could end up with a series of images that show the actuality. Martin Parr had a different approach on documentary photography adding humour and irony to almost If not all of his photographs. He has a unique way of telling a story which is often harsh. His creative style is covered in irony, and this generates a very strong statement about society. His approach seems to be very close to actuality even if his unique style is very distinct. In her book called Documentary Dilemmas, Caroline Anderson (p.1, 1991) talks about Frederick Wiseman and his documentary film Titicut Follies saying that he (i.e. Wiseman) considered his films as reality fictions. Anderson (p.1, 1991) argues that Wiseman didnt want to be responsible for representing social actuality in an objective manner. He used the ambiguous term of reality fiction as an excuse to be able to classify his work in both documentary genre and as an artistic creation. Anderson (p.2, 1991) claims that Wiseman used the term of reality fiction as a claim upon film theory and not to point at the inevitable tension between actuality and film. Nevertheless Titicut Follies is still a documentary film. Elizabeth Cowie (p.22, 2011) referring to the recording of actuality in both photography and film, claims that two different predilections exist. There is the need for reality as a fact and the ability to review it, and on the other hand there is the need of rational knowledge, conveyed through logical interpretation. This idea reflects upon John Griersons creative treatment of actuality in a sense that a documentary creation has to represent the actuality but also to help the viewer see the reality which the creator wants to deliver. Looking at my own photographs for an example of Griersons statement I chose a photograph which shows a woman sleeping on the pavement between two bags that read A bag For Life. This photograph was taken a few steps from my place and could be a good example of the creative treatment of actuality. My intention was to articulate the fact that the woman was homeless but the reality is she can be anyone and anything and she just happened to enjoy the sunshine. A while ago I was asking myself if documentary photography is the middle ground between art and actuality. I was putting actuality, documentary photography and fine art photography in a hierarchy, fine art photography being on the highest ranks. This is because actuality on its own is not interesting, it does not have that spark of genius documentary photography and it does not have the creative approach of fine art photography. One of the best examples of how documentary photography shed light on the social injustices around the world is the Magnum Agency. Founded by Robert Capa, Henri Cartier- Bresson, George Rodger and David Chim Seymour the agency had, and still has, the purpose of chronicle the world through the distinctive eyes of each member thus creating a complete image of the society. Documentary photography indeed can be seen as a genre which binds the aspirations of photojournalism with the ones of photographic art, thus becoming a kind of bridge or grey area, if you like. The main characteristic of documentary photography is the appetite for social subjects that go beyond the simple story in the newspaper, becoming increasingly subjective but at the same time holding a grip to actuality and truth. For me creativity represents the fingerprint which the photographer applies to the raw actuality with the purpose of creating his own reality to share with the world.
Tuesday, November 12, 2019
Essay --
society poverty has various definitions that lack the true picture that poverty depicts. Dictionary defines poverty as ââ¬Å"the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money on material possessions.â⬠In other words poverty is a situation where a person fail to earn a sufficient amount of income to purchase basic necessities such as food, shelter, clothes etc. In reality, poverty is much more than the capital resources. According to Laster Brown explained poverty as ââ¬Å"the world without ordersââ¬â¢ and further emphasized that ââ¬Å"unfortunately it is a human condition. It is despair, grief and pain.â⬠However, the issue of poverty and how we deal with it could differ among people. This idea is reflected in Peter Singerââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"Famine, Affluence and Moralityâ⬠essay and the opposing essay written by John Arthur in ââ¬Å"World hunger and moral obligation: the case against Singer.â⬠Peter Singer raises the question of pove rty and our obligations toward it in his essay ââ¬Å"Famine, Affluence, and Moralityâ⬠. In the essay, Singer addresses the question of what obligations we have toward those ar...
Sunday, November 10, 2019
Dominozz Pizza Research Paper Essay
Founded: In 1960 by Thomas S. Monaghan in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ownership: In December 1998, investors, including funds managed by Bain Capital Inc. , a leading private equity investment firm, together with management and others, acquired a 93% stake in the Company, which was formerly owned by founder, Thomas Monaghan and his family. Description: Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza has been dedicated and committed to quality service, product and delivery excellence for more than 40 years, making it the world leader in pizza delivery. Dominoââ¬â¢s is the largest privately held restaurant chain, and the eighth largest of all restaurant chains in the world. Products: Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza offers Crunchy Thin Crust, Ultimate Deep Dish and Classic Hand Tossed pizzas with a number of regional toppings. Side items include Dominoââ¬â¢s Bread Sticks, Double Cheesy Bread, CinnaStix and Buffalo Wings. Beverages consist of icy cold Coca-Cola products. Stores: Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza operates a network of 6,977 owned and franchised stores in the United States and 64 international markets. Employees: Over 120,000 associates are employed by Dominoââ¬â¢s around the globe, 15,000 of those are corporate employees, of which 550 work at the worldwide headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Each Dominoââ¬â¢s store employs 15-30 part-time and full-time individuals Officerââ¬â¢s: David Brandon, chairman and chief executive officer Jim Stansik, special assistant to the CEO Harry Silverman, chief financial officer and executive vice president, finance/administration Tim Monteith, chief information officer Hoyt Jones, executive vice president, flawless execution-franchise stores Patrick Knotts, executive vice president, flawless execution-corporate stores Patrick Doyle, executive vice president, Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza International and acting executive vice president, build the brand Mike Soignet, executive vice president, maintain high standards Tim McIntyre, vice president, corporate communications Elisa D. Garcia C. , executive vice president and general counsel Patti Wilmot, executive vice president, people first. National Charity: In August 1998, Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza began a long-term relationship with Easter Seals, which has become the corporationââ¬â¢s first national charity of choice. Through this alliance, Dominoââ¬â¢s is dedicated to helping children and adults with disabilities and their families. Distribution: Through its network of 18 domestic distribution centers, Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza Distribution regularly supplies more than 4,600 pizza stores with more than 150 products, ranging from dough to pizza boxes. The number of products offered by DPD continues to expand. Similarly, the ongoing demand for new technology and basic equipment is provided by DPDââ¬â¢s Equipment & Supply division, which offers items such as make lines, crew uniforms and ovens as well as merchandise support for national promotional programs. Industry: Pizza is a $30 billion per year industry. Approximately 3 billion pizzas are sold in the U. S. annually through 61,269 pizzerias. Each man, woman and child in America eats an average of 46 slices (23 pounds) of pizza a year. Pepperoni is Americaââ¬â¢s favorite topping (36% of all pizza orders); approximately 251,770,000 pounds are consumed each year. Inovations: Dominoââ¬â¢s HeatWave hot bags were introduced in 1998. Each heated hot bag contains a patented heating mechanism warmed via electricity. Once unplugged, this technology keeps the pizza oven-hot during a normal delivery. The outer material of the bag is made with water-repellent nylon rather than the vinyl material previously used. Inside the bag is 3M Thinsulate insulation, which eliminates unwanted moisture, keeping the pizzas both hot and crisp. To allow Dominoââ¬â¢s stores to concentrate on making and delivering pizzas, Dominoââ¬â¢s developed a central commissary system. This relieves stores from long hours making dough, grating cheese and preparing toppings. Today, Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza Distribution provides high quality dough and ingredients nationwide, keeping the companyââ¬â¢s pizza consistently delicious. Other pizza and fast food companies in the U. S have adopted this same system. Fresh and delicious pizza has always been a priority at Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza. Dominoââ¬â¢s was the first to use a fiberglass tray for dough, which simplified dough handling and ensured better preservation. Dominoââ¬â¢s was the innovator behind the sturdy, corrugated pizza box, which keeps moisture from weakening the box, while preventing cheese from sticking to the top during delivery. A delicious, crisp crust is one of the most important parts of the pizza. In search of the perfect crust, Dominoââ¬â¢s developed the pizza screen, a mesh tray that helps cook pizza crust more evenly than a tray made of wood or stainless steel. Today itââ¬â¢s hard to miss pizza delivery cars ââ¬â thanks to Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza. Dominoââ¬â¢s invented the 3-D car-top sign, which is currently used by a variety of industries, including taxis and driving schools Company history. In 1960 Tom Monaghan and brother James purchase ââ¬Å"DomiNickââ¬â¢s,â⬠a pizza store in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Monaghan borrowed $500 to buy the store. Then in 1961 brother James trades his half of the business to Tom for a Volkswagen Beetle. By 1965 Tom Monaghan is sole owner of company, and renames the business ââ¬Å"Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza, Inc. â⬠Next Tom opens the first Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza franchise store opens in Ypsilanti, Michigan in 1967. Then in 1968 the company headquarters and commissary are destroyed by fire, also the first Dominoââ¬â¢s store outside of Michigan opens in Burlington, Vermont. Then in 1975 Amstar Corp., maker of Domino Sugar, files a trademark infringement lawsuit against Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza and then in 1978 the 200th Dominoââ¬â¢s pizza store opens. Now it is 1980 and a Federal court rules Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza did not infringe on the Domino Sugar trademark and Tom gets to keep his trademark. I n 1983 Dominoââ¬â¢s first international store opens in Winnipeg, Canada. The 1,000th Dominoââ¬â¢s store opens. By 1984 ground is broken for new headquarters, Dominoââ¬â¢s Farms, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Then in 1985 Dominoââ¬â¢s opens a remarkable 954 units, for a total of 2,841, making Dominoââ¬â¢s the fastest-growing pizza company in the country. Then Tom decides he needs to try something new so in 1989 he decides to introduce the Pan Pizza, the companyââ¬â¢s first new product. Dominoââ¬â¢s opens its 5,000th store. In 1990 Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza signs its 1,000th franchise. In 1992 Dominoââ¬â¢s rolls out bread sticks, the companyââ¬â¢s first national non-pizza menu item. In 1993 the new Crunchy Thin Crust pizza is rolled out nation-wide. The Company discontinues the 30-minute guarantee and re-emphasizes the Total Satisfaction Guarantee: If for any reason you are dissatisfied with your Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza dining experience, we will re-make your pizza or refund your money. In 1994 tom has a big because Buffalo Wings are rolled out in all U. S. stores, the first Dominoââ¬â¢s opens in Eastern Europe in Warsaw, Poland and the first agreement to develop Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza in an African country was signed by Specialized Catering Services, Inc. In 1995 Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza International division opens its 1000th store. First store opens on African continent, in Cairo, Egypt. Another big year for the company is 1996 when Dominoââ¬â¢s launches its web site on the Internet (www. dominos. com). Dominoââ¬â¢s rolls out flavored crusts, for limited time only promotions, nationally for the first time in company history. The company reaches record sales of $2. 8 billion system-wide in 1996. In 1997 Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza opened its 1,500th store outside the United States, opening seven stores in 1 day on 5 continents consecutively. Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza launched a campaign to update the company logo and store interior with brighter colors and a newer look. In 1998 Dominoââ¬â¢s launches another industry innovation, Dominoââ¬â¢s HeatWave, a hot bag using patented technology that keeps pizza oven-hot to the customerââ¬â¢s door. Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza opens 6000th store in San Francisco, California in April. Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza founder, Tom Monaghan, announces retirement and sells 93% of Company to Bain Capital, Inc. In 1999 David Brandon is named Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza. Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza announces record results for 1999. Worldwide sales exceed $3. 36 billion. Revenues increased 4. 4% over 1998. Now this brings us to the year 2000 where Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza International opens its 2000th store outside the United States. Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza celebrates 40 years of delivering pizza and innovation to homes around the world. During the past four decades, Dominoââ¬â¢s has paved the way for businesses involved in food delivery, employing practices that have set the standard in the industry. Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza announces record results for 2000. Worldwide sales exceed $3. 54 billion. Revenues increased 5. 3% over 1999. Mission Statement Since 1960, Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza has been committed to providing our customers with the best-tasting, highest-quality pizza, using only the finest ingredients, and delivering it directly to their door. That is what made us the world leader in pizza delivery. We continue to focus on our Vision: Exceptional People on a mission to be the best pizza delivery company in the world. (Dominoââ¬â¢s) Company Mission Good pizza. Itââ¬â¢s our mission. And while it may seem like a simple one, the lengths weââ¬â¢ll undertake to fulfill it are anything but. We hand-stretch our crust for maximum flavor. We pioneered the Dominoââ¬â¢s HeatWave? bag so our customerââ¬â¢s pizza is always delivered hot. And we use only the freshest, highest quality ingredients. (Dominoââ¬â¢s) But at Dominoââ¬â¢s, weââ¬â¢re not only dedicated to quality service, product and delivery; weââ¬â¢re dedicated to our staff. Nearly all Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza franchise owners started out as Dominoââ¬â¢s store employees. With focused vision, hard work, and at least one yearââ¬â¢s service as store manager, you can have the opportunity to make the leap into franchising with one of the most innovative and exciting companies in the fast food industry Founded in 1960, Dominoââ¬â¢s makes and delivers nearly 6 million pizzas a week in over 60 countries around the world. Dominoââ¬â¢s has more than 6,000 stores (85% of which are owned by franchisees) with 1999 worldwide sales of more than $3. 3 billion. As a franchisee, youââ¬â¢ll have a positive influence on people lives and the community you serve. But owning a Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza store isnââ¬â¢t for everyone. Itââ¬â¢s a lot of hard work. It is for the strong, determined individual who understands our mission and knows what it takes to make it come true. (Dominoââ¬â¢s) Social Responsibility Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza, founded in 1960, is the recognized world leader in pizza delivery. Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza operates a network of company-owned and franchise-owned stores in the United States and international markets. But Dominoââ¬â¢s isnââ¬â¢t just about delivering; itââ¬â¢s also about giving back to the community. Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza believes that an essential component of its corporate responsibility is to provide support to charitable organizations that benefit the communities where our employees and customers work and live. Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Dominoââ¬â¢s is committed to supporting initiatives and causes in its hometown while also participating in national programs that align with our vision, guiding principles and strategic focus. (Dominoââ¬â¢s) In February 2001, Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza announced an exclusive national partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza has made a corporate decision to devote our philanthropic resources exclusively to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Dominoââ¬â¢s has made an ongoing commitment to Make-A-Wish to deliver wishes to children with life threatening illnesses and to assist Make-a-Wish with their benevolent volunteer efforts through heightened awareness and direct contributions. The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Make-A-Wish is the largest wish-granting organization in the world, with 81 chapters in the US and 22 international affiliates on five continents. Since its founding in 1980, Make-A-Wish has granted a wish to every qualified child referred more than 83,000 wishes to children around the world. Wishes are granted through private donors and more than 20,000 volunteers worldwide. (Dominoââ¬â¢s) In addition to being civic-minded, Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza is also concerned about its team membersââ¬â¢ needs. In 1986, Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza Partners Foundation was established to assist employees in time of special need or tragedy as a result of natural disasters, unexpected afflictions, on-the-job accidents, and other emergencies. The Foundationââ¬â¢s primary support comes from voluntary employee payroll deductions, company functions and special events. Since its inception, Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza Partners Foundations has helped thousands of Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza employees and their families with financial, emotional, intermediary and advisory assistance. (Dominoââ¬â¢s) Centralization Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza has a highly centralized when it comes to what the franchises will sell and how they will sell it. All the decisions concerning food products and ingredients and what new products will be offered all come from top management and the stores have to follow this structure rigorously. Now on the other hand when it comes to training of the employees things are quite different. At Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza, 85 percent of a non-supervisory employeeââ¬â¢s training occurs on the job and is proved by the store manager or franchise owner. Each employee is trained to fill most of the shopââ¬â¢s five jobs, (order taker, pizza maker, oven tender, router and driver), which helps during rush hours when a crewmember does not appear for work. Performance standards are demanding; the order taker must answer the call within three rings and take the order within 45 seconds. The pizza maker must make the pizza and place it in the oven within one minute. The oven tender must take one pizza out while putting another I within 5 seconds and cut and box the pizza by the count of 15. Although the bulk of training is on the job far away from corporate headquarters, Dominoââ¬â¢s corporate training staff maintains some control over training by providing a variety of training aids. The staff makes available to shop management 14 videotapes on such tasks as delivery, dough management, image, and pizza making. Each shop also displays corporate-produced training posters with job hints and reminders throughout the work place. Store managers are trained by a six-week course, typically a six-month MIT program that includes coursework in pizza dough management, people management, cost management, and how to conduct on the job training of hourly employees. Manager trainees progress through five levels of training with higher performance requirements and more responsibilities at each level. On the job training is an important part of the training program. Many franchise owned and all company owned stores send management trainees to the regional training center for classes taught by corporate trainers; however management training often is decentralized, with franchise owners conducting the MIT courses themselves. Franchise owners must be certified to conduct the formal courses for their manager trainees. The certification process requires that the owner complete a ââ¬Å"Training Dynamicsâ⬠course on how to teach manger trainees; observe certified teachers training the MIT series of course; and then co-teach the series with a regional trainer, who must approve the franchiseeââ¬â¢s performance. () The quality of training provided by the franchise is enhanced by the owners substantial in store management experience. With all of these different ways of training in the end it is still a decentralized structure. Activities Dominoââ¬â¢s pizza is having a little problem with their turnover rate, which is now in the vicinity of 300 t0 400 percent with employee but a lot less managers. Therefore managers do all they can do to keep there young employees happy, one of the reasons the turnover rate is so high is because of the age of the average employee is 18 to 21. The culture that surrounds Dominoââ¬â¢s is a young one with open minds for new ideas; it also is one for caring and giving for and to the community. This culture was first started by Tom Monagham in 1960 and is now carried on by CEO David Brandon. Technology has played a major role in Dominoââ¬â¢s since the beginning, with help of computers so that your address can be pulled by just the use of a telephone number, the caller id system which is now linked to the computer so address is automatically pulled up when you call in and the heatwave bag which allows the pizza to be hotter when it arrives at your door. All of these things have allowed Dominos to adapt to the times and keep it a strong running company. Also there new ideas on food products and menu items have also allowed them to stay head of the game making them a top competitor in there market. The efficiency with which Dominos run is remarkable in the aspect of time but if you look at there turnover rate it is something that might need some work, however dealing with people of that age group it is hard to get anyone to commit to delivering pizzas for life. In conclusion Dominos is a company that started in 1960 with a single store and went public and now has stores all over the world. This once little pizza shop is now global and has met up to all the challenges that face a company when itââ¬â¢s growing stages. The culture is one that stood the test of time so far and has a great look for the future. With all of this in mind Dominoââ¬â¢s Pizza is a company that we will see for along time into the future.
Friday, November 8, 2019
The Tesco store Essay Example
The Tesco store Essay Example The Tesco store Essay The Tesco store Essay As we have chosen to report on Tesco Plc as our main company to research and advise after comparison with competition. We will compare Tesco with one of its closest market rivals; Sainsburys, to provide a analysis of what they are doing better and can learn from in order to compete as well as learn from the others mistakes, and also to consider the direction the company is heading as well as highlight the characteristics Tesco has as a company which makes it the UKs number one retailer. Tesco is a very large company in a very competitive sector. The aim of this report is to advise a shareholder on the performance of the chosen company; Tesco Plc, in order to inform them of the health of the company and advise what action they should take in relation to the companys shares. Many issues will be considered that are internal issues of the company such as its own activities as well as external issues such as competition (Sainsburys) in the market as this will obviously affect share value. We will provide in our report a portfolio of various relevant financial ratios that will help us to analyse the profit and loss accounts, and balance sheets of both companies to understand better which companies shares would be a better investment. We will use the current annual reports of both companies to make comparisons of the performance of both companies, given that the latest annual reports are already out of date by the time they are printed we will also look at other up to date sources of information on the performance of both companies such as news reports, press releases and expert analysis already in existence in order to explain our view of the present position of the company and future trading environment it will operate in. In this report we are aiming to explain why there is such a major difference between these two companies even though they operate in the same industry; using this information in the report we will present our findings and recommendations. We will also include in the appendices of the report additional information such as minutes of our team meetings and financial data. We will also provide with the report the latest annual reports of both companies as they will help the reader to further understand our findings that we base our advise upon. Tesco was founded in 1924 by Sir Jack Cohen. Using his gratuity from his Army service in the Great War he started selling groceries in the markets of Londons East End markets in 1919. The brand name of Tesco made its first appearance on tea packets in the 1920s. The name was based on the initials of T. E. Stockwell who was a partner in the firm of tea suppliers, and the first two letters of Cohen. They opened the first Tesco store in 1929 in Burnt Oak, Edgware. Tesco Stores (Holdings) Ltd was floated on the Stock Exchange in 1947, with a share price of 25p. The price at the beginning of February 2002 was around 2. 42p. modify! By the early 1960s, Tesco had become a household name. Along with groceries they also sold fresh food, household goods and clothing in their stores. Tesco stores were located in the high streets of towns and cities up and down the country. In 1961 Tesco opened the largest store in Europe at the time at 16,500 square feet of shop floor. Given the size of Tesco during the 1960s they should have been able to use their economies of scale such as bulk buying power to reduce costs in order to be able to sell goods at lower prices in order to be more competitive than their competition (especially independent stores) as they do now, but they were restricted up until 1964 when laws that allowed suppliers to insist stores sell their goods at a price set by them (Resale price maintenance) were removed. These laws made it difficult for Tesco to reduce price as the whole purpose of these laws were to protect small stores from being heavily undercut by large chains such as Tesco. A earlier version of the current reward card systems in place at all major chains of supermarkets were trading stamps introduced by Tesco to build a reward system for customers in order to build customer loyalty and entice customers through the ability to make savings. Customers received stamps when they made purchases. Once they had collected enough stamps to complete a book, they had the choice to exchange the book for cash or other gifts. The reward system was later taken up by other companies and still exists now in a more sophisticated form. As well as expanding its chain by opening new stores; Tesco also bought existing chains of stores. In 1960 it bought out a chain of 212 stores in the north of England, then another 144 stores in 1964 and 1965. In 1968 it took over the Victor Value chain of stores. Tesco was first to introduce the concept of a superstore in 1967 by opening a 90,000 square feet store in Westbury, Wiltshire. In retailing the superstore was a new concept; a very large unit on the outskirts of a town, which is designed to provide easy access to customers coming by car or public transport. The term superstore was first used in relation to the Tesco store opened in Crawley, West Sussex, in 1968. Tesco has grown at great speed in size, value and profit since its formation. In 1979, its annual turnover reached i 1. It went on to in 1987 to announce a i 500 million program to build another 29 stores. By 1991, the popularity of Tesco petrol stations at its superstores had made Tesco Britains largest independent petrol retailer. In September of 2002 Tesco launched its own exclusive clothing brand Cherokee in many of its UK stores. The Cherokee brand, along with Florence Fred and Tesco own brand clothing went on to see sales increase by 6 times the market rate. The stores have a diverse range of goods beyond just food and household goods such as clothing, electronics, financial services and petrol to name a few. It has tried to target important niche markets such as organic food that are growing in size.
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
Idea of a Pseudo Public Sphere Essay Example
Idea of a Pseudo Public Sphere Essay Example Idea of a Pseudo Public Sphere Essay Idea of a Pseudo Public Sphere Essay The Matrix an absence of a public sphere is expressed through three different dimensions of human consciousness. Neo, otherwise known as Thomas A. Anderson has always had some type of unorthodox feeling about the world he lives in and therefore Is on a hunt for a cyber-program called the matrix. The rising action of the story doesnt begin until a man who goes by the name of Morpheme concludes that Neo is the One that can save the seemingly oblivious and asleep humans from the fake world and more importantly, public sphere in which they live. Once Neo learns of the fake reality he was living In during his fake, life he loins a team of a hand -full of humans who broke out of the matrix to defeat the agents and make all humans aware that artificial intelligence is running their lives. The decision Morpheme makes to be the initial man to break free from the matrix is crucial to the story. Without it the rest of the world would have lived out their lives In battery pods while the machines sucked away their own resources for fuel. As the main characters in the film fought against the agents and a desolated wasteland here most of humanity have been captured by a race of machines that live off of the humans body heat and electrochemical energy, one couldnt help but wonder about the lack of Information being passed around In the human society. As a result, only a handful of humans knowing the truth, it seemed like a public sphere of information was being kept from everyone and everything. As a result human society could not be pictured as being free and full of democracy. In fact, it seemed like the world could never really be the same due to the giant virtual reality being placed on every human Ewing possible. Thus, the pseudo public sphere human beings actually live in Is quite different from the public sphere and fake ideologies holding together a virtual world made up of nothing. Thomas A. Anderson, also known as Neo, Is the protagonist in the film who represents the key to unlocking human beings from being slaves of their own mind. Neo is the centralized figure whose main focus is to break free from the pseudo public sphere in which human beings operate in and also change the fake ideologies the human race as a whole think they founded upon. Morpheme is true leader of the group and was the first human to break free from the matrix and Into the real world of artificial intelligence. With Morphemes mastery of the matrix system he becomes the man who is on a never ending hunt to find the supposed chosen one who can break the human race free of a pseudo public sphere and the simulated ideology running the lives of everyone. The oracle In the story represents an occurring theme throughout the movie, which deals with fate. As the film progresses Neo Is constantly contemplating if fate runs his life, or a self made destiny. The oracle is the figure that symbolizes this internal conflict and therefore plays a pivotal role in the struggle between being informed, or simply having ones life planned out before an individual Is born. Agent Smith Is the program who was made by artificial intelligence In order to protect the privacy of the real public sphere and keep human beings believing 1 OFF needs to be protected from the truth in order for artificial intelligence to prosper. For this specific reason Agent Smith can be labeled as the face of the protagonist in the film. One of the key scenes the movie portrays is where Neo is waking up from the matrix into what is now known as the pseudo- Public Sphere. The double meaning of this scene holds great significance not only because it reveals the major conflict in the story, but also because it serves as an abstract idea expressed throughout the film. This scene reveals that artificial intelligence has overtaken the human race and now uses their unconscious bodies as a source of bilaterally energy to fuel their world. All the while humans live in a fake reality, which is run and maintained by artificial intelligence. This reality is known as the matrix of modern human civilization as we know it exist today. The scene also represents a quite ironic false sense of knowing and being informed, known as a pseudo public sphere. Even though humans believe they live in a democratic society where information is freely passed around, in reality any type of ideology constructed by the human race in the last couple of thousand years has actually been fake. These fake ideologies are concluded by coming to the realization that humans are manipulated for their resources and pet hidden from the truth about how artificial intelligence runs the world. Another key scene occurs during the rising action of the film, a scene where Morpheme has offered Neo the choice between being enlightened and within the public sphere of society, or becoming an uninformed citizen who lives out the rest of his life in a world full of fake ideologies and a manipulated truth. This scene which is otherwise known as taking the red pill or the blue pill represents an important episode in the movie because Neo is offered the chance between two interpretive abstractions related to Ewing informed or lack there of. As discussed and viewed in the film, these two choices relate to being in the public sphere or confining to the rules and ideologies that run the program off fake human civilization. As Neo is finally about to learn his fate from the old and wise oracle as to whether or not he is the chosen one, he comes across an adolescent monk who is seen bending a spoon with his mind. Perplexed by the events that unfolded in front of him, Neo asks the young monk how he bent the spoon. The monk expresses to Neo Do not try and bend the spoon, thats impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth. There is no spoon. Neo now knows everything he has ever known is Just a false construct and the spoon isnt real. His mind is simply envisioning the spoon Just as human beings are envisioning a false consciousness and reality. This is exactly what the interpretive abstraction of an ideology has lead them to believe. Neo finally concludes that he is in fact now part of the real public sphere of enlightenment rather than the pseudo public sphere that proceeds around him.
Sunday, November 3, 2019
Elasticity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Elasticity - Essay Example The function of responsiveness of a particular variable to the change in parameters of the other variables is what elasticity is all about. The frequently used dimensions of elasticity include price elasticity of demand, price elasticity of supply, income elasticity of demand and elasticity of substitution between factors of production. Because of the immense contribution that the concept of elasticity has made to the study of responsiveness of price and other factors to changes in demand and supply, it has indeed made a significant contribution to the understanding of the market and agents in its. This is the topic for this paper and the subsequent paragraphs discuss the concept in detail along with the example of a supermarket to elucidate the concept. If we take the first dimension or the PED (Price Elasticity of Demand), this is the percentage change in the quantity demanded for a drop or rise in price and hence measures how ââ¬Å"elasticâ⬠the demand is to a change in the price of the good. The measurement of PED is by dividing the percentage change in the quantity demanded by the percentage change in the price and since either the percentage change in demand or the percentage change in price is negative, the PED is always negative. Hence, the PED is usually expressed in terms of absolute values. Goods that have a PED of more than 1 are supposed to be highly elastic meaning that changes in price have a large effect on the change in demand. On the other hand, goods that have a PED less than 1 or between 0 and 1 are supposed to be inelastic or relatively inelastic. This is because the change in demand is not that much greater for a change in price (Ayers & Collins, 2003). If we apply this dimension to the case of the superm arket, we find that goods like alcoholic beverages and luxury products like perfumes and cosmetics are highly elastic since a drop in the price invariably leads to
Friday, November 1, 2019
PROBLEM STATEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
PROBLEM STATEMENT - Essay Example At a societal level, difference and its history of institutionalization in apartheid is a constant challenge in South Africa: the most glaring difference being between those who have resources and those who do not. There is also constant awareness of the different losses they struggle to make sense of. Many South African couples struggle to survive economically, or even physically, with illnesses such as Aids and Tuberculosis; others are torn between their traditional and new religion, culture, identity, and family structures. Some might face trauma from the high crime rate, the loss of friends and family through emigration and an uncertain future, with the prophetic words of Breyten, Breytenbach ringing in their ears from across the Pacific: If you Can Stand the Loss, Leave S.A. Now (headline in the Cape Times, November 2008). All change, of course, is typically accompanied by some feelings of loss. (Marris, 1974). The issue of managing difference and loss, most especially when this is extreme, preoccupies many South Africans. In this regard, the words of Charles Waldegrave (2008) come to mind: When you begin to honour different cultures equally, you can expect many cross-cultural collisions. In this paper we suggest that it is in the conscious mourning and reparation following cross-cultural collisions or the confrontation of differences in couple work and in society that the healing of relationships can start to flourish. The differences - death and life, black and white, haves and have-nots can begin to challenge each other in a way which could eventually lead to reflective and responsible introspection, and hence to more grounded reparation. In South Africa, however, this process often seems more complicated. In South Africa the process of mourning is frequently blocked by unconscious processes, most especially in times of trauma and extreme forms of loss. This idea arose
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