Competitive Advantage Essay Example For Students

Competitive Advantage Essay Corporate StrategySources of competitive advantage rarely yield added value that can be sustained over time.The following essay is going to attempt to assess the above proposition and try to find if it is possible to add value continually over a period of time. I will first discuss what competitive advantage is and what it means to a firm. Then I will explain the sources of competitive advantage and how the distinctive capabilities of a firm allow it to sustain added value. The discussion is based on a number of viewpoints from different authors who will be clearly indicated and acknowledged. I begin with explaining what competitive advantage is. So, what is Competitive Advantage? In a number of industries, the average performance of the industry is usually no better than the average performance of industries as a whole. However particular firms or groups of firms manage to do considerably better than average. In this case, the high performing firm or sub-group has something special and difficult to imitate to offer which allows it to outperform its rivals. Porter (1985) refers to such special assets as the firms competitive advantage. A firms competitive advantage are those characteristics that allow it to do well even in the face of mediocre industry wide performance and free entry into the industry as a whole. The firm has certain capabilities which allow it to be different from the other firms in the industry. It has certain distinctive capabilities which cannot be reproduced by competitors. However, it is not enough for that characteristic to be distinctive. It is also necessary for it to be sustainable over a period of time. As Oster (1994) points out, The key success factors in an industry are those assets that allow a firm to outperform its rivals for a sustained period of time.Competitive advantages are always relative. For example, Sainsburys has a very slight competitive advantage over Tesco. These firms serve similar markets and they see themselves as members of the same industry and strategic group. Tesco has a competitive advantage over Argyll. In a paired comparison one firm will have a relative competitive advantage over another. The resource based theory of the firm indicates, If all firms in a market have the same stock of resources and capabilities, no strategy for value creation is available to one firm that would not also be available to all other firms in the market.The theory is implying that a resource must be scarce in order to sustain profitability in the industry. A firms profitability is a function not only of industry conditions, but also of the amount of value it creates relative to its competitors. The amount value the firm creates in comparison depends on its cost and differentiation positions relative to competitors. No business can exist without creating positive value, and to achieve a competitive advantage it must add more value that its competitors. Added value is the difference between the market value of a firms output and the value which its inputs would have in comparable activities undertaken by other firms. Added value can be achieved if customers or suppliers are willing to undertake relationships which they would not make available to other people.The main sources of competitive advantage are architecture, reputation and innovation. It is the ability of the firm in how it utilizes its distinctive capabilities to add value to its competitive advantage. Architecture is the first primary distinctive capability of competitive advantage. It is a network of relational contracts within , or around, the firm. It is a description of relationships held by a firm internally or externally, or with a group of other firms. Architecture can add value and provides competitive advantage by encouraging the formation of organizational knowledge and the development of organizational routines and cooperative ethics. Some firms such as IBM and Marks ; Spencer have a powerful and identifiable corporate culture. Each of these companies has created a structure, a certain style, a set of routines which operates to get the best out of employees.These routines have continued to produce exceptional results and add value. Kay (1995) points out, Architecture depends on the ability of the firm to build and sustain long term relationshipsit is easier to sustain architecture than to set out to create it. More than the other sources of competitive advantage, the sustainability of architecture rests on the level of skills of senior mangers. The first major step for the managers is to recognize the nature of the firms architecture and the function it plays in the markets the firm serves. Kay argues that there are two main types of distinctive capability based on architecture,. Firstly, the firms architecture may generate a flow of innovations which forms a sustainable advantage. Secondly, the architecture of the firm may allow the firm to successfully adopt new technology sooner and more efficiently than its competitors. Joy luck club2 EssayThe architecture of the firm may generate a flow of innovations which forms a sustainable advantage even if individual innovations are unsuccessful. However, as a result of innovation being costly and difficult to manage, there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding it. Usually, a great deal of research and development goes into producing innovations which have no guarantee of profitability. So, it can be said that transforming innovation into sustainable competitive advantage which yields added value is very difficult to implement and also unlikely. Competitive advantages which are based on architecture can be sustained over long periods of time. If organizational knowledge is refreshed and replenished frequently then added value can be yielded. To continue to add value a cooperative ethic requires regular reinforcements. Some firms have maintained their advantages by adopting their organizational knowledge and redeploying their relational skills in different market sectors. The sustainability of architecture is the responsibility of the management of the firm. Kay (1995) states, Architecture is certainly not created by, and not much sustained by, the proliferation of identity and communication programmes of the last decade as chief executives and their consultants unveil the expensively orchestrated corporate culture. Here, Kay is implying that management must acknowledge the degree to which architecture grows with and from the organization. If this can be identified by firms then they are in a position to yield added value which can be sustained over time. Reputation advantages are usually persistent and sustainable over time. Kay uses the phrase, living on a reputation, to describe the process of sustaining competitive advantage. However, reputation advantages often fade as the market, in which they were established declines. Therefore in order to sustain added value the market needs to stay constant or progress. Strategic assets fall into three broad categories. The first is that some companies have a natural monopoly in the market. The second, is a firm may benefit from some sort of regulation ruled by the government. The third is the cost structure of the industry, with a substantial component of sunk cost which may confer incumbent advantages. A natural monopoly ensures that there is only one firm in a market. A firm with a modest competitive advantage can easily knock out an incumbent firm whose strategic advantage is natural monopoly. So a natural monopoly on its own may find it difficult to sustain added value over a period of time. Almost all natural monopolies are associated with sunk costs. In a market where costs are substantially sunk are readily sustainable. A natural monopoly becomes a far more sustainable competitive advantage if it is combined with a strategic advantage based on sunk cost. From this, added value can be yielded over time.So, we have seen that the distinctive ca pabilities of competitive advantages do and can yield added value to the firm over a period of time but can only be sustained to a certain degree. However, an interesting conception emerges from Kay. He believes that size, market share, market position and market selection are actually the real sources of competitive advantage. These sources differ from the distinctive capabilities (architecture, reputation and innovation), and those factors are the outcome of a firms competitive success and not the source of it. However, he does point out that his definition of the sources of competitive advantage are not sustainable over time because they are all characteristics which, given time and expenditure, can be imitated and replicated by other firms. Therefore, in answering the proposal, sources of competitive advantage rarely yield added value which can be sustained over time, my answer would be that certain sources do rarely yield added value which can be sustained over time but there are also sources which can continuously yield and sustain added value over time which further strengthen the competitive advantage a firm has in the market. Word Count: 1450 words BibliographyCombined Bibliography for essay an related case study. Firm Resources ; Sustained Competitive Advantage, 1991J. BarneyFoundations Of Corporate Success, 1995J. KayModern Competitive Analysis, 1994S.M. OsterCompetitive Advantage, 1985Micheal Porter Other sources:Exploring Corporate Strategy, 1989G. Johnson ; K. Scholes IBM website on the Internet, http:/www.ibm.comNewspaper articles and CD ROMCombined Word Count: 2500 words

The Diagnosis and Treatment of Obsessive

The Diagnosis and Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsiv Essay OCDe DisorderThere are many factors to consider in the evaluation and treatment of Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This paper will discuss the strategies that have proven most effective in treating the disorder, including: drug therapy, cognitive therapy, and family-based therapy. It will focus on the benefits of flexibility, emphasizing combination therapy, especially with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has become an increasingly familiar disorder within the world of health and medicine. The recurring obsessions and compulsions associated with the disorder seem quite easy to identify, yet the acknowledgement of OCD in children had been overlooked for quite some time. Many people believe that children have no reason to develop depression or anxiety disorder such as OCD (Wiznitzer, 2003). Diagnoses and treatment of OCD patients has only recently shifted from adults to children. Some of the most important questions facing psychologists studying OCD today are how to determine which children suffer from OCD and what treatments most effectively reduce or eliminate their symptoms. Researchers have offered that by applying some of the information learned from treating adults, our understanding of the disorder in children may improve immensely. We will write a custom essay on The Diagnosis and Treatment of Obsessive-Compulsiv specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now With the majority of psychologists agreeing with this proposal, OCD has gained a large amount of attention in the last couple of decades. Recent studies have estimated that the condition is 2 to 20 times more common than previously thought and has been the catalyst for research activity in the area (Waters, 2000). Though this heightened attention is good news for suffering children, it has not been as helpful as originally expected. A number of unnecessary drug-based therapies have been implemented in an attempt to meet the increasing demand of OCD treatment. Many of these drugs have proved successful in treating anxiety disorders; however, many OCD cases require more complex treatments. Many could benefit from several alternative forms of OCD treatment, such as family oriented treatments and cognitive-behavioral therapy. Unfortunately, the advantages of combining these methods with drug therapy have nearly been overlooked in the scramble for easy answers. Cognitive-behavioral therap y (CBT) has emerged as a safe, viable, and efficient treatment for OCD among children and adolescents (Wagner, 2000). One specific form of CBT that has proven to be quite successful is exposure plus response prevention (ERP). In this method, patients are guided into conscious confrontation with the objects and situations that serve as the triggers of their obsessive fears. Following exposure, patients are taught how to abstain from the obsessive habits that they have constructed to relieve their anxieties. This treatment is quite similar to conditioning in that the response prevention immediately follows the exposure, maximizing the reinforcement effectiveness of the therapy. The idea behind this treatment is that repeated exposure to the anxiety-producing stimulus leads to the patients habituation and progression in overcoming the disorder. Additionally, the realization that obsessive fears do not materialize during ERP appears to reduce the potency of the obsessions (Wagner, 2000) . The second form of CBT that has proven to be successful is the RIDE theory. In this theory, encounters and enactments of OCD symptoms are broken down into four different stages: R, I, D, and E. In the R stage, individuals are taught to recognize OCD thoughts as impractical to the childs normal being. By doing this they could realize their urges and take the necessary steps in dismissing them from their consciousness. Once they have done this they are taught the I stage. In this stage they must insist that they are in fact in control of their behavior. This assertion puts them in the drivers seat where they determine what actions will be taken next. The third stage is the D stage. This is the stage where the actual change of behavior takes place. Children learn to defy OCD, resisting their urges by doing the exact opposite of what they feel. The fourth and final stage of the RIDE theory is the E stage. When the child has learned to successfully complete the first three stages, they ar e taught to enjoy and celebrate their success. By recognizing, insisting, and defying their unusual urges, children have learned to overcome OCD and should be able to appreciate their hard-deserved success. .ua53365449fd915c4dc98d1a41ebc6fce , .ua53365449fd915c4dc98d1a41ebc6fce .postImageUrl , .ua53365449fd915c4dc98d1a41ebc6fce .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ua53365449fd915c4dc98d1a41ebc6fce , .ua53365449fd915c4dc98d1a41ebc6fce:hover , .ua53365449fd915c4dc98d1a41ebc6fce:visited , .ua53365449fd915c4dc98d1a41ebc6fce:active { border:0!important; } .ua53365449fd915c4dc98d1a41ebc6fce .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ua53365449fd915c4dc98d1a41ebc6fce { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ua53365449fd915c4dc98d1a41ebc6fce:active , .ua53365449fd915c4dc98d1a41ebc6fce:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ua53365449fd915c4dc98d1a41ebc6fce .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ua53365449fd915c4dc98d1a41ebc6fce .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ua53365449fd915c4dc98d1a41ebc6fce .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ua53365449fd915c4dc98d1a41ebc6fce .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ua53365449fd915c4dc98d1a41ebc6fce:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ua53365449fd915c4dc98d1a41ebc6fce .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ua53365449fd915c4dc98d1a41ebc6fce .ua53365449fd915c4dc98d1a41ebc6fce-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ua53365449fd915c4dc98d1a41ebc6fce:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Explosion EssayThough both the ERP and RIDE methods have proven successful, their effectiveness is both limited and varying. The unfortunate truth is that many children do not benefit from these strategies and many others diagnosed with OCD do not receive CBT at all. A variety of reasons have been offered in explanation to this, the most common being simply that there are not a sufficient amount of clinicians who are trained in managing the challenges expected in this type of treatment. The second is that the disorder itself can be difficult to detect and diagnose in the first place. Many children reason that they either have to or are uncertain why they perform some o f their actions, which has lead others to believe that the obsessive behavior is willful. Although this does pull treatment potential back, it is important to take full advantage of the resources available right now. Among these available resources is the role of the family in childhood obsessive-compulsive disorder. A large percent (67%) of adults suffering from OCD have reported signs of symptoms extending well into childhood memories. One groups of researchers state that OCD is a common childhood onset psychiatric condition (Steinberger, 2002). This information hints that the family may play a critical role in the development and treatment of OCD, both genetically and cognitively. Research on the subject has yielded inconsistent results, but on average, 20% of parents of children with OCD are also diagnosed with the disorder. Cognitively, psychosocial factors have also been acknowledged as important. Although the exact factors are still being investigated, many have already been found. These factors range widely in their influence including high expressed emotion, overprotection, lack of warmth, avoidance, caution, and fearfulness. Each factor is relative self explanatory, though the direct correlation of each with the disorder differs slightly. While in some instances the cause for each factor can be negative, most cases are related in an indirect from. The most common are a result from a feeling of helplessness, generally resulting from a failure to successfully support the family member with OCD in previous situations, or some sort of confusion in actions that were originally made with good intention. For example, a common misconception of people is to accommodate the OCD behavior when in fact, it is widely recognized that accommodation of the OCD behavior through assistance with rituals, giving reassurance, and facilitating avoidance of feared stimuli serves to reinforce and maintain the symptoms (Waters, 2000). There are many different strategies to consider when treating OCD. It is important to realize that OCD varies in type and severity, so treatment will vary in their effectiveness. Whatever is tried, it is important to urge flexibility, as a combination of drug and behavioral treatment may be needed (Rapoport, 2000). Recent studies such as the ERP and RIDE approve and recommend CBT in treating OCD. They also emphasize the importance of flexibility in successfully treating the disorder. Many cases may benefit best from a combination of drug and behavioral treatment. BibliographyRapoport, J., ; Inoff-Germain, G. (2000). Treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder in children and adolescents. Journal of Child Psychology ; Psychiatry, 41(4), 419-431. Steinberger, K. (2002). Classification of OCD in children and adolescence. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavic, 106(2), 97-102. Wagner, A. (2003). CBT for Children and adolescents with OCD. Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention. 3(3). 291-306. Waters, T., ; Barret, P. (2000). The role of the family in childhood obsessive-compulsive disorder. Clinical Child ; Family Psychology Review, 3(3), 173-184. Wiznitzer, M. (2003). Why do psychiatric drug research in children? Lancet, 361(9364). 1147-1148.

Asian American Decolonial Feminism Essay Sample

Asian American Decolonial Feminism Essay SampleThis is an Asian American colonial feminism essay sample. It will give you some basic information on the term, colonial. The essay will describe what it means to be a colonial individual and share examples of people who are colonial or aspire to be one.First, the definition of colonial. Decolonial, a point in history, means the direction in which a culture seeks to free itself from the colonial or pseudo-colonial forces that have been ruling it for centuries. The result is to create a self-governing nation. In today's world, some cultures are governed by a neo-colonial establishment, which is modern, separate, and without a past. People who are colonial desire to be free from these controls.This Asian American colonial feminism essay sample will provide you with this information. To complete this essay, you will need to add the following examples to your essay. Each of these examples is relevant to the main idea of colonial philosophy an d politics.Slavery in the United States. One example of slavery is the Jim Crow segregation of the races in the South. This kind of slavery is generally considered to be a form of pseudo-colonialism, because it is based on the existence of multiple identities. It is based on the knowledge that when people belong to different cultures, they do not mix, so there is a tendency for segregation to occur.In the United States, women are denied the right to vote, are discriminated against in the workplace, are forced into sexual roles, and are forced into sex-segregated spaces. While this form of pseudo-colonialism was used to control these cultures, they were always controlled through force. What happens to a society when the strength of the culture is based on power relations and not on solidarity? What happens when a group is not allowed to choose its own direction?When a group, such as women in the U.S., makes a choice to fight for equality, is it justifiable? In a period of globalizati on, the strength of Asian culture has made its diversity. Asian women cannot be separated from African women, nor can Asian men be separated from Hispanic men.Colonialism has not been confined to patriarchal oriental societies but is present in most cultures that have existed throughout time. It has also occurred when cultural institutions have existed. The colonial revolution is the fight for the realisation of the true culture of a people, instead of the false, outdated one that it has been reduced to.So, that is the first part of the Asian American colonial feminism essay sample. The second part of the essay is to add in your own examples of colonial individuals. You can use the examples of men and women in the US, South Africa, Ghana, etc. to show the relevance of colonial theory in today's society.

Free Essays on My Opinion About Frank OConnors “My Oedipus Complex“

My responses to Frank O’Connor’s â€Å"My Oedipus Complex† In Frank O’Connor’s short story â€Å"My Oedipus Complex†, we get a chance to explore the world of a little boy. In this story, Larry, a five-year-old boy obsessed with his mother suddenly sees a drastic change in his life when his father returns home from war. With abundant humour and considerable pragmatism, O’Connor depicts in this story the ‘Oedipus stage’ of a boy’s life alluding continuously and wittily to Freudian psychoanalysis. The focus of the story is the relationship between Larry and his father. It is witty and ingenious in the way it depicts the oedipal phase. The conflict arises when his father comes back from the war. Larry views his father as a stranger who suddenly steals his mother’s love and attention away from him. Larry is a very possessive, self-cantered and selfish boy. He despises the fact that his mother is paying more attention to his father. He becomes extremely jealous of his father and starts competing with him as only a five year old would know how. This creates a very hilarious situation and the readers are constantly amused by the absurdity of his actions. He is typically babyish and childish in his behaviour towards his father, mother and his brother Sonny. However, at the end, he finally comes to terms with his father and Larry moves from rivalry with his father over possession of his mothers love to reconciliation with him. The denouement or the unravelling of the plot of t he story is prompt but very plausible. The story is written by the older man who looks back and tells the story from the little boy’s point of view. The older narrator knows what the boy does not know. This gap creates an irony throughout the story. Larry thinks that he is in the right, never realising that he is the selfish one. The author is brilliant in recreating the boy’s world. He explores the mind of the young boy and gives a vivid portra... Free Essays on My Opinion About Frank O'Connors â€Å"My Oedipus Complexâ€Å" Free Essays on My Opinion About Frank O'Connors â€Å"My Oedipus Complexâ€Å" My responses to Frank O’Connor’s â€Å"My Oedipus Complex† In Frank O’Connor’s short story â€Å"My Oedipus Complex†, we get a chance to explore the world of a little boy. In this story, Larry, a five-year-old boy obsessed with his mother suddenly sees a drastic change in his life when his father returns home from war. With abundant humour and considerable pragmatism, O’Connor depicts in this story the ‘Oedipus stage’ of a boy’s life alluding continuously and wittily to Freudian psychoanalysis. The focus of the story is the relationship between Larry and his father. It is witty and ingenious in the way it depicts the oedipal phase. The conflict arises when his father comes back from the war. Larry views his father as a stranger who suddenly steals his mother’s love and attention away from him. Larry is a very possessive, self-cantered and selfish boy. He despises the fact that his mother is paying more attention to his father. He becomes extremely jealous of his father and starts competing with him as only a five year old would know how. This creates a very hilarious situation and the readers are constantly amused by the absurdity of his actions. He is typically babyish and childish in his behaviour towards his father, mother and his brother Sonny. However, at the end, he finally comes to terms with his father and Larry moves from rivalry with his father over possession of his mothers love to reconciliation with him. The denouement or the unravelling of the plot of t he story is prompt but very plausible. The story is written by the older man who looks back and tells the story from the little boy’s point of view. The older narrator knows what the boy does not know. This gap creates an irony throughout the story. Larry thinks that he is in the right, never realising that he is the selfish one. The author is brilliant in recreating the boy’s world. He explores the mind of the young boy and gives a vivid portra...

Fast Spread of Vulgarity through the Internet into the Innocent Minds Assignment

Fast Spread of Vulgarity through the Internet into the Innocent Minds of the Adolescents - Assignment Example The people obtain a study guide, health and fitness tips, devise, share and revise business plans, and minutely observe the changes taking place within their social and natural environment. Hence, from getting information related to personal, domestic, corporate and amusement activities to chatting with the distant friends, and from reading articles of one’s own choice and interest to watching the latest models of automobiles, cell-phones, clothes and furniture are sought out from the internet. Moreover, the scholars, researchers, writers, poets, scientists, architects, lawyers, and intellectuals also have obtained the opportunity of getting and sending material related to their profession and interest by using the same platform. Thus, the internet has got the status of an inevitable product that fascinates and satisfies the individuals belonging to every age group, socioeconomic status, gender, ethnic-racial group and profession. Somehow, instead of taking positive and constr uctive benefit out of this great invention, the nefarious people have included and inserted pornography and filthy material challenging the very moral values, ethics and decency have been followed and observed by humanity for centuries; almost the same is the case with a mobile phone. Though the cell phone was simply invented to send and receive important information of very urgent matter, yet the people have started misusing it by spreading startling news and appalling issues, which should have no concern with the mobile phone. It is the need of the hour to take immediate steps to combat with the very threat in order to eradicate the fast spread of pornography. The authorities should apply blockages to all the sites that contain the words and addresses related to sex and nudity. There must be a ban on the development of the sites that are damaging the moral and ethical values of our society. Though pornography through the internet certainly affects all strata of society, yet it is the most fatal thing particularly for the adolescents, which are the future builders of our society and nation. The authorities should impose banishments on the recording and developing of nude movies so that the young generation could be protected from the mental and physical bankruptcy. The internet and communications regulatory authorities should take urgent steps to prohibit the selling of pornographic material, including video films, CDs, cassettes, books and periodicals, watching of which is swiftly and constantly making the youth the addict of sexual activities, deviant behavior and perversion. The age of puberty and majority for purchasing tobacco, wine, liquor, sex enhancing pills and condoms as well as for joining and attending the clubs should be declared to be 21 years, instead of 18 years, so that sexual excesses and perversions could be mitigated to a great extent. The reports reveal that the grandfathers, uncles, neighbors and stepfathers are involved into forced sex and rape with the minor girls and even boys, which not only are destroying the very fabrics of family and blood relations but are also inviting the complete ruination of the young generation. The law enforcing agencies must announce severe punishments and sentences to the culprits too to save the innocent children from going astray as well as from becoming the victim of rape and incest.

Review 5_2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Review 5_2 - Essay Example Semi-automated handling systems involves the utilization of typical equipment such as automated guided vehicles, computerizes sortation, robotics, and live tracks. Semi-automated systems are often used to supplement the mechanized handling systems. The general working principle of the system is that it contains a mechanical system, whose operations are automated by either programming or applying other formats (Codourey, Zesch, Buchi & Siegwart, 1995). Automated handling systems are integrated system involving such activities as handling, and controlling of materials by use of fully computerized equipment, in which, their entire operation is fully dependent on the computer instructions directed to them. The system includes digital conveyors; Automated guided vehicle and automated storage and retrieval systems. In these systems, computers direct automatic loaders to pick and place items where they are required. Automatic guided vehicles are driverless vehicles, in which their control unit is connected to a computer interface to manage their function. Automated material handling systems improve efficiency of transportation, storage and retrieval of materials (Viswanadham & Narahari, 1992). Information directed systems combines the control typical of automated handling with the flexibility of mechanized systems. Informational directed systems use mechanized processing controlled by information technology. The most common examples of information directed systems are the RF controlled equipment and the light detected operations. Consumer packaging is a package that is customarily produced or distributed for sale through retail sales agencies for consumption or use by individuals for the purposes of personal care. Industrial packaging is particularly a package intended solely for industrial or institutional use or wholesale distribution (Chandra & Kamrani, 2003). Consumer packaging is an essential in the contemporary society.

The Journals of Susanna Moodie Essay Example for Free

The Journals of Susanna Moodie Essay One of the finest collections of poetry known is The Journals of Susanna Moodie, reiterating several poems contoured to environmental factors. Most of the poems are interconnected and weaves a cumulative effect on the reader. Of course, the cohesiveness comes from one persona, which is Susanna Moodie. Significantly, this book utters a woman’s growth and development into another land where light, darkness, trees, and fire form an important story in Moodie’s life. For instance is Moodie’s transformation in a foreign land, translated by light protruding into darkness. Sensibility on Moodie’s part will enhance the captivity of making such values on the environmental influences during and after her migration (Bilan, 2007). In this book, Atwood emphasizes the lack of connection a person has with a specific land. The â€Å"light† specified in the character of Moodie derives an inner margin between the land and the protagonist. The first of the three journals conveys the initialized entrance of Moodie unto a foreign space. It is described that Moodie sees herself as a light shedding to rocks. It seems that she already knew herself as a foreign character. Seen in this book, is the addressed change through acceptance and eventual exploration of greater self. Susanna Moodie is the protagonist, where she lives in the period of the 19th century, as an English immigrant to Upper Canada. This book is composed of eighteen poems under three journals. The first journal entails Moodie’s journey across the Atlantic and up the St. Lawrence where her departure becomes a difficult undertaking. Her migration has caused several deaths among her children. Following this event is her husband’s work as sheriff in Belleville. In the second journal, Mrs. Moodie experiences the haunting of the difficulties she had known in her past, which eventually links to what she has become in the third journal, a haunting ghost (Hammill, 2003). The Planters This poem sees how their adaptation comes in the unknown land. In the first stanza saying, â€Å"They move between the jagged edge Of the forest and the jagged river On a stumpy patch of cleared land. † (Atwood 16) Clearly, the stanza reiterates the difficulty of migration. Somehow, there is a description of their origin, â€Å"jagged† meaning diverse or interchanging life. On the next verse, ‘stumpy patch of cleared land,’ the characterization of the foreign land looked civilized to her or quiet. This description may also mean silence, where there is no one to cling to because of adapting to a new culture. The next stanza focuses on her husband’s and other neighbor’s status on their quest. Identified by describing how they foster their imminent work in the fields, she describes their hard adjustment through exploration uttering, â€Å"my husband, a neighbor, and another man Weeding the few rows Of string beans and dusty potatoes They bend, straighten; the sun Lights up their faces and hands, candles Flickering in the wind against the† (Atwood 16) It seems as though their work is very hard. Mrs. Moodie knows that their migration costs a lot than it should and the primary factor beaming is their culture. She also sees that their experience is similar to what other persons like them endure. The sun emphasized are the superiors, she sees her husband and the other who work as only candles, â€Å"flickering† or unsure of what they are doing. In addition, the instability portrayed may come from the sense of viewing their upholding traditions or what they are used to. Connected to this proposition is still the diffidence they feel on a foreign land. As said in the following, â€Å"unbright earth. I see them; I know None of them believe they are here. They deny the ground they stand on. † (Atwood 16) Their uncertainty dictates their actions. Moodie knows the unpleasant fact of their migration. Hence, the acceptance should be obscure rather than clarified. In a sense, the viewed party is undermined not by the consequences but of experiences they reach. She accepts yet another hurtful fact of their stay in that cleared land, as she utters of their future troubled but coping, to the unknown world. â€Å"pretend the dirt is future. And they are right. If they let go Of that illusion solid to them as a shovel,† (Atwood 17) Uttering these words would mean of the unpleasant pursuit dictated by their present status. Dirt would mean the strange, unacceptable, and unworthy but still, they have to and need to approve of it as part of their lives. She accepts it, spoiled and impaired. She acknowledges that if they try to accept that fact, stated as â€Å"solid to them as a shovel,† they are doomed. Finally, she identifies of the unknown world vehemently depraved of freedom, stating, â€Å"open their eyes for a moment To these trees, to this particular sun They would be surrounded, stormed, and broken In upon by branches, roots, tendrils, the dark side of light As I am. † (Atwood 17). Mrs. Moodies know of her position. She knows that similarly, other people superior to them determine her fate. Her understanding of that freedom, when persevered to the highest will result to a much bigger problem. She describes it by trees, its members, that they are the darker side of light. Generally, Mrs. Moodie experiences alienation from the verge of Victorian era. Her perception is more complex than any other is, more than her husband and those having similar fate. The separation of dark and light begins to break down unto her senses. Paths and Thingscape Explained in this entry is the attempt of Mrs. Moodie to take course of assimilation, though she is unsure of what she is doing. She wants this to happen, as she ventures into a new world. In these words, she starts to wander of other person’s embrace of the new world, asserting, â€Å"Those who went ahead Of us in the forest Bent the early trees So that they grew the signals: The trail was not among the trees but the trees† (Atwood 20) Again, she sees superiority over those who went ahead of her. She becomes the observer of the future unfolds of to the people comparable to her status. However, she dreams of awakening herself and accepting what these trees offer. She expresses what others dream of, extolling of the detriments, â€Å"and there are some, who have dreams Of birds flying into shapes Of letters; the sky’s codes; And dream also The significance of numbers (count petals of certain flowers). (20) The endowment of certain plans to make their future pleasant upholds her wishes of a better future. It supports her adaptation to the new land. Even though it proclaims of an uncertain trail held by people superior to them, still, she manifests of her justifications as correct. Guided by uncertainty and mere courage she advances into a more treacherous state of adjusting, she exalts of her undertakings, â€Å"In the morning I advance Through the doorway: the sun On the bark, the inter- twisted branches, here a blue movement in the leaves, dispersed Calls/no trails; rocks And grey tufts of moss† (Atwood 20) Her endeavor of finally settling to new pastures becomes wide and unsurpassed. She feels more comfortable of telling her spiritual bereavement over many things. More importantly, she endures of freedom like any body else and cannot commit herself to dependence. However, she feels insecurity of what is hiding unto the depths of the new world. She picks up the obligatory impression parallel with the others who dreamt of liberation. She exclaims of her concerns, â€Å"The petals of the fire- Weed fall where they fall I am watched like an invader Who knows hostility but not where The day shrinks back from me† (Atwood 21) Her definition inclines a surety of purposeful downfall after an undertaking. She exceeds advancement but treats it as a threat and not a triumph. Her overwhelmed quest modifies the true picture of the superiority over her and excludes courageous acts. However, this comprehensive characterization of Mrs. Moodie’s opinions may be false, as some elements may prove supportive of what she plans or does. The transformation possible ends in a negative opinion rather than a separate entity. What she does not conceptualize is the harmonious feeling of the subjective entities around her. Even though this is partially correct, she gratifies each vision as complete though it is not.