Female characters: Coursework Essay

For this coursework I am going to be explaining how writers in my chosen stories have presented their female characters. I will be investigating whether or not the females fit their typical stereotype in the nineteenth Century of being very submissive and gullible. I will also look at what sort of way they fit that stereotype within everyday life or on a long term basis. To have a range in this investigation I will concentrate on the contradicting stereotype of being independent and confident as a women not fitting in with how a typical nineteenth century woman would expect to act. Certain consequences of not acting as the stereotype are proven to not necessarily make that particular woman worse off as we see in the short stories I am looking at. Through stories I have read containing characters based on the nineteenth century women one of the ideas that was most obvious to me was that of the characters being typical nineteenth century woman at the start of the short story and then turning out to be a lot stronger then we first perceived. The first character I am going to mention which fits into this idea is Dorothea from the short story ‘The Unexpected’ by Kate Chopin. Chopin shows Dorothea to be a loving, doting wife, impatient towards her husband arriving home. She is shown to be a perfect fit for her stereotype. She is dependant on her husband and excited and desperate for his arrival home. Chopin describes it as ‘torture’ for Dorothea as she waits for her husband. This is very extreme language for the author to use to demonstrate just how Dorothea is feeling. Dorothea is commented to having ‘reached the limit of her endurance’; this suggests why the reader feels she is very reliant on her beloved as it seems she cannot cope without him. All of the above qualities I have seen in Dorothea fit into being typical of the nineteenth century. Although this is how we first see this of her she turns out to be the opposite of this stereotype upon arrival of her husband. Dorothea is perceived as being independent, powerful and confident as she realises her husband is not what he used to be before he became ill. Now, Dorothea has to make the decision of whether she still wants to be with her beloved. She chooses to leave him unexpectedly and turns out to not be at all like her stereotype describes her. At the very end of the short story Dorothea says; ‘Never! Not for all his thousands! Never, never! Not for millions!’ This shows she wants more in her life then being at her husband’s bedside while he wastes away. Dorothea wants someone she can truly love and have feelings for. It shows she is going to be independent rather then like her stereotype. She is not shallow and staying with him just for his money. Chopin’s use of repetition in the above quote shows that she wants the reader to see how needy Dorothea is for a fulfilled life and not staying with her beloved when he is as frail as he is and only for his possessions. Another short story which fits into the idea of fitting the stereotype then contradicting it is ‘Tony Kytes the Arch-Deceiver’ by Thomas Hardy. There are two characters, in my opinion that fit this idea from this short story; Unity Sallet and Hannah Jolliver. Firstly I think Hannah Jolliver fits into this idea I have came up with of fitting the stereotype then contradicting it because of her role in the short story ‘Tony Kytes the Arch-Deceiver’. Hannah is very flirtatious with Tony even though she knows that she is out of bounds as he is engaged to another woman. She is disloyal to her own sex. She toys with his emotions and is very forward about their relationship and is presented as being very independent but shows her stereotype when she is very easily pleased as Tony says; ‘I haven’t quite promised her, and I think I can get out of it, and ask you that question you speak of.’ With regards to the wedding proposal to Milly. All this is being said when all three women Tony is playing against each to her are in the wagon with each other but unaware of it. She is shown to be very gullible at the start of the story when being told of how pretty she is by Tony, this is a feature of the stereotype which we see in all the characters mentioned in this section of my coursework. Hannah is almost won over completely by Tony’s charm but then something goes wrong. The wagon crashes due to Hannah being left by herself at the reins. Tony’s secret is out, all three women find each other to be hidden in the carriage and Hannah hurts herself when she falls out. Hannah is put across to be the complete opposite to her stereotype for now at the end of the short story. Her father arrives on the scene of the accident just as Tony says; ‘I’ve asked Hannah to be mine, and she is willing, and we are going to put up the banns next-‘ But was interrupted by Hannah’s father as Hannah was hurt; ‘My daughter is not willing, sir!’ And so Tony tries to save his and Hannah’s future, failing miserably. This is where Hannah feels the need to intervene, ‘I have spirit, and I do refuse him!’ Hannah is shown to be very much the opposite of her stereotype as we saw Dorothea do when things turned out to be different towards the end of her short story. Hannah is confident and strong in her decision of rejecting Tony’s proposal. We see that Hannah is a little bit more of her stereotype then we perceive her to be following what has just happened in the story. We are made to think that this decision was only reached because of the fact that her father was there as Hannah looks back once she is leaving with her father did she really mean it? I think that she would possibly say yes was Tony to ask her again at a later date and show she isn’t as different as she is put across to be at the end of the short story. Lastly I feel Unity fits into this idea as when we first meet her Hardy represents to us as being very desperate for attention from Tony through questions about her appearance; ‘And – can you say I’m not pretty Tony? Now look at me!’ Hardy backs up this quote with a statement from Unity which shows that she is quite weak because she has to ask the question and answer it to show Tony the answer she is looking for. ‘Prettier than she?’ This further proves how needy Unity is for Tony’s wise words and how gullible she is towards them. In my opinion Tony should not be saying such things to someone when he is supposed to be engaged to Milly Richards. This makes me thinks that he is able to realise that whoever he promises things will believe him because that is what women were expected to be like in the nineteenth century. As this question is put past Tony, Milly is in fact seen ahead while Unity is in Tony’s carriage. To prove how much more of the typical stereotype Unity is Tony asks her to ‘lie down in the back part of the wagon’ to hide from his future wife and Unity agrees. This is further proof that she is very much like her stereotype. Now is where the second part of my idea comes with regards to Unity. Towards the end of this short story Unity starts to stand up for herself. Tony asks for her hand in marriage AFTER he has already asked for Hannah’s. ‘Take her leavings? Not I! I’d scorn it!’ And she walks away. This is the opposite of what Unity’s stereotype is. She is shown to be strong and confident in the decision. Hardy shows Unity to stand up for her sex and not shame herself as being second choice, which in turn, leaves it down to Milly as the final choice for Tony†¦ A second idea worth of exploration from reading the range of short stories I was given is that of the characters totally fitting their stereotype of a nineteenth century women. The main character I feel fits into this idea is Sophy out of the story ‘The Son’s Veto’ by Thomas Hardy. Like the stereotype Sophy is weak and is described as a ‘poor thing’ within the opening of this short story. We also see just how weak Sophy is through her relationship with her son, Randolph. Her son is her biggest critic. We see this where he corrects Sophy’s grammar; ‘Has, dear mother – not have!’ This is showing that Randolph is using his education to take advantage of his mother disadvantages. Randolph is always correcting his mother and is ashamed of her as she is not as well educated as she should be; this is however, due to her background. Randolph is very impolite to Sophy even though she is his mother; ‘Surely you know that by this time.’ He is the child in this relationship but seemed to dominate Sophy showing how much more like her stereotype she is, especially when she does nothing about it. She realises her role in Randolph’s life and all men; she is considered to be beneath them and not worth their company. Randolph will not associate with those who are of a lower class then him, this includes Sophy. Hardy perceives Sophy as a fragile character by not letting her stand up for herself. When Sophy tells Mr Twycott she will not be working for him anymore so she can marry Sam, her reply to Mr Twycott when he asks if she wants to marry Sam is; ‘Not much but it would be a home for me.’ This shows she does not really care who she ends up with as long as she has a roof over her head. Another useful way that Hardy presents Sophy as being her typical stereotype is when she takes drastic action by marrying Mr Twycott instead of her beloved Sam after a fight with Sam. She marries Mr Twycott more for respect then love which ‘almost amounted to veneration’. Mr Twycott knows he is marrying beneath him and will lose all the respect he has gained as said in the narrative part of the story; ‘Mr Twycott knew perfectly well that he had committed social suicide by this step’. He moves to London because of the fact he feels Sophy is beneath him. Sophy could have refuses Mr Twycott’s marriage proposal but has no power or confidence in herself to do this as she is scared of the consequences if she does not do as she is told by the males in her life. Hardy puts Sophy across as being the perfect stereotype for typical nineteenth century through this action; domination by males. The second character that I feel fits into this stereotype for being totally stereotype is Milly Richards again from the short story ‘Tony Kytes the Arch-Deceiver’ by Thomas Hardy. Milly is seen to be the perfect stereotype for the nineteenth century woman. She has the husband ready for her and is very devoted to him and is presented as being very dominated by him and his needs. She is submissive to Tony and gullible to what he says. Her behaviour around him is very much like what women in the nineteenth century were expected to be like and did what was expected of them. As the short story develops we see that Milly is of a very naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve nature as she is asked to hide from one of the other women in the story for the sake of ‘keeping the peace’ between that particular woman and Tony. Fitting the stereotype Milly agrees to do as she has been told by Tony, ‘I don’t mind, to oblige you, Tony’ Milly does not seem to mind, in my opinion, that Tony seems ashamed to be seen with her. Milly didn’t ‘care much about doing it’ and crouches down in the wagon unaware that Unity is also hidden amongst the wagon at the other end. Further into the story Milly realises that Unity is in the wagon and creeps up closer to her. And even though Tony was in the wrong of having three women aboard his wagon Milly is very defensive of him; ‘Mind what you are saying!’ This proves she is even more like her stereotype due to her protecting the male and not thinking he could do anything to harm her and thinking he is perfect. She is extremely protective of Tony and does not think that he would do such things to her resulting in her being disloyal to her own sex for not believing what Unity is saying to her. Toward the end of the story Milly is found amongst the wagon by the other two women. Tony chooses the other two women over Milly and so chooses Milly last to wed him. This is because he knows she is the typical stereotypical woman for the nineteenth century otherwise he would not have wasted his breath. Milly being the perfect stereotype says; ‘If you like, Tony. You didn’t really mean what you said to them?’ And with a quick ‘No’ from Tony things were settled and Milly believed what he had told her. Tony is actually indeed disappointed he is left with his final choice as it is not seen as a challenge to win over Milly because she is the typical stereotype. For my third and final idea in this piece of coursework I will comment on contradicting stereotypes. The stereotypes that I have chosen that are perfect for this category are out of the short stories ‘Births. Mrs Meek, of a son’ and ‘The Woman’s Rose’. Firstly I will mention the character of ‘The girl’ in the story ‘The Woman’s Rose’. The basis of the story is a rose that ‘the girl’ has and is very important to her. This rose is not mentioned very much at all in the opening of the short story but closer to the end it is clear that it is important. At the start of this story ‘the girl’ is the only woman in the village and so has her choice of men, then ‘the narrator’ comes along. I feel that ‘the girl’ is contradicting of her stereotype for the typical nineteenth century woman due to the impact she has on men in the story. Instead of being reliant on men and thinking about men all the time she is more interested in the only other woman in this story and she has much more influence on the men in this short story then they will ever have on her. The men in this story worshipped ‘the girl’ like a queen as there was no other women to worship and all the men are trying to win her over and stand out so she will ‘choose them’. ‘The girl’ had power; she was the centre of attention and stood out, what women in the nineteenth century were not expected to do. Schreiner presents ‘the girl’ as being very much what women would loved to have been like and had the power to choose their choice of men rather then having to do the running themselves. At the end of the short story ‘the girl’ goes up to ‘the narrator’ in a bid to become her friend although she has received mixed messages of whether or not to speak to her or not. ‘The girl’ gave her one of the things that was most precious to her; the rose. ‘The girl’ is not the stereotype of what a typical nineteenth century woman should be. She concentrated more on her relationship with ‘the narrator’ then she did worrying about what typical women did back in those days; getting a husband and producing children for the male in their life. ‘The girl’ wanted more for herself then that and did not depend on males but influenced them. In this short story it was more of a role reversal. I am also going to mention the only other woman that is in the short story ‘The Woman’s Rose’. She is known as ‘The narrator’. The rose in this short story is straight away put across to be very important to ‘the narrator’ in the opening paragraph which ends; ‘but no one has my rose.’ To show its importance to her. The story then goes on to explain why it is of such treasure to ‘the narrator’. When ‘the narrator’ came into the small village of which ‘the girl’ used to be the only one attention was made of ‘the narrator’ took this away from her. She started t be the centre of attention towards men and they worshipped her instead. She influenced men. This was not necessarily because she was prettier then ‘the girl’ but because she was something new for the men in the village to concentrate on. This is something that she is not aware of but has the fear that it is because she is new and not because they are truly interested in her. She is fresh meat. This made her feelings towards men feelings of hatred and regret for going to the village. ‘The narrator’ liked the power she received from coming to the village but did not have a clue what to do with it and thinks she is hated by the one thing she does not want to be hated by in the story; ‘the girl’. She wants a friendship with ‘the girl’ but does not know how to go about it as she thinks she is hated and has plenty men to keep her occupied if not distracted from thinking about it. ‘The narrator’ never looked at the girl and never had any association with ‘the girl’ as she believed this was the better way to be if she was hated. Schreiner makes ‘the narrator’ defend ‘the girl’ if she is being spoke of amongst the village to show that she does care about what is said and does want to be her friend. For doing this it pays off towards the end of the short story when the white rose is obtained as an act of friendship by ‘the girl’. ‘The narrator’ is shown to be the complete opposite of her stereotype in this short story and not at all like she is expected to be. She is shown to have other worries than that of the typical worries for women in that time normally. For the other two characters I will comment on in this idea I turn my attention towards a short story named ‘Births. Mrs Meek, of a son’. The two characters that I am going to mention are Mrs Progit and Mrs Bigby. Firstly I will talk about how I think Mrs Bigby is contradicting towards her stereotype. Near the beginning of the story Mrs Bigby is said to be able to ‘storm a town, single-handed’ and that she could ‘terrify the stoutest heart’. Mrs Bigby is almost definitely not at all like her stereotype. She is a ‘remarkable woman’. Her son-in-law is scared of her as she is a scary woman. Other women in her time were not forward enough to be scary as such and did not have the confidence to scare males in their lives. This is the complete opposite of what we saw in ‘The Son’s Veto’ and the character of Sophy. She was not so much scared of her son but the roles were in the correct places for the nineteenth century. The opposite is what we see in the relationship between Mrs Bigby and her son-in-law. Most women in the nineteenth century don’t have much of an education and Mrs Bigby boasts of this knowledge. She is the total opposite of what is expected of women in her time. She is the dominate one in the relationship between her and Mr Meek. She won’t let him see his own son and as a result of this Mr Meek is angry and frustrated; he feels shoved aside. The male in this story feels left out in the cold. With emotions running wild Mr Meek thinks his son is being killed. Mr Meek shows the qualities of a nineteenth century woman instead of Mrs Meek as is expected as she is the woman in this short story. She is possibly the best example of the contradicting stereotype along with the next character I am going to talk about; Mrs Progit. Mrs Progit is a character of copious figure which gets in the way a lot and an obstruction to other people. She completely contradicts her stereotype by being very confident in her behaviour and brings desolation and devastation into other people lives in the short story. She has taken over the house. Mrs Progit won’t let Mr Meek see his son as well as Mrs Bigby. She wants to keep the child to herself and raised a storm about the subject. She has power and alienates Maria Jane’s affections towards Mr Meek with the power she has. She pushes Mr Meek about which is not what her stereotype would do. She is supposed to be quiet and dominated by males but instead there has been a role reversal regarding Mrs Progit. She is completely confident in her own nature and does not let herself get pushed around by the male but instead gives them a taste of their own medicine. This is what women in the nineteenth century did not have the power and confidence to do because they were afraid of the consequences. In conclusion of this piece of coursework I feel I have successfully explored how different writers have presented female characters in their short stories to show different ways in which women could act in the nineteenth century and the results how they act towards other characters in the stories. I read a range of different stories that I felt would get all the different views across and only included those stories that I thought had solid evidence of different ways in which women felt they had to be like or what they wanted to be like. I think I have investigated how the writers create their characters and form the reader’s opinions of those particular characters using structure and clever writing techniques.

The Story A View From The Bridge Film Studies Essay

Arthur Miller was a good cat he was a affluent concern adult male who inherited his male parent ‘s concern a adult female ‘s vesture store. Before a position from a span was written there was another drama called â€Å" the adult male who had all the fortune † this was a large hit in the theater, so large that it won the national theater award in 1940. His existent large interruption was in 1956 when he wrote a position from a span. The narrative â€Å" a position from the span † is set in a topographic point in New York called â€Å" Red hook † the full narrative is narrated by a adult male called Alfieri it is ill-defined who he is in my ain personal sentiment I think that he is person who watched over the narrative take topographic point like a falcon watching its quarry. But in the narrative it is now clear to me Alfieri is the attorney of the narrative. The existent topographic point where the narrative is set is by the docks near Broker Bridge the docks are wear all illegal immigrants flee in to the state from the boats at the clip the great depression was taking topographic point. The chief characters that are in the drama are: Eddie is Italian American and he is married to his married woman called Beatrice and Eddie has an orphaned niece called Catherin. Eddie is a truly nice household cat. Eddie ‘s usage of linguistic communication is informal he speaks Brooklyn slang and he is non educated. Beatrice is a common jurisprudence married woman to Eddie and he has an orphaned niece called Catherin she has a really happy relationship with Eddie and they both live merrily together Rodolfo is the immature good looking individual blonde she is an illegal immigrant to the state. CatherineA is the niece of Eddie Carbone and Beatrice. Catherine is a beautiful, smart, immature Italian miss who is really popular among the male childs in the community. MarcoA who is the cousin of Beatrice, Marco comes to the U.S. to work and do money to direct back to his married woman and kids in Italy. Marco is a difficult working Italian adult male. Marco ‘s usage of linguistic communication is in broken he speaks broken English These are non all the characters within the drama these are merely the chief 1s who make the narrative. The overall temper of the characters within the narrative â€Å" A position from a span â€Å" is really unagitated and relaxed within the first Acts of the Apostless but deeper into the narrative, flooring events take topographic point and everybody ‘s temper alterations into a more serious tone. The author has showed each characters droping towards each other are altering. â€Å" I want my name! I want regard. † Eddie ‘s demanding nature leads to him and Marco contending this shows how thing are traveling on in a bad manner. But every bit long as you owe them money, they ‘ll acquire plentifulness of work done † this is another scene where Rodolfo is egger to get down work this is another illustration of how the characters temper is come oning e.g. Eddie contending with the Italian community which are like Mafia. And Rodolfo off the boat and ready to work. The manner the narrative unfolds is when Catherin decides to get married Rodolpho. Eddie is really disapproves of this. So he goes to the great extent of describing him to US in-migration governments. He besides gets his attorneies involved in the instance so that the happy twosome do non get married, he truly did non desire them to be together he went to such great extent to do certain that they do non get married. â€Å" This is my last word, Eddie, take it or non, that ‘s your concern. Morally and lawfully you have no rights, you can non halt it ; she is a free agent † this is where Eddie is told about the matrimony and is told there is nil he could make about it, this brings bad tempers in to the scene and besides bad emotions are get downing to be created. There is a subject emerging out from all play and action taking topographic point and that subject is illegal immigrants because the new cats to New York think they can run this town tonight. But it ‘s non traveling to go on. As in the instance of Marco and Rodolfo they are new in town at the start of the narrative so subsequently on they want to acquire occupations. â€Å" He says we start tomorrow † this citation was by Rodolfo being eggar for her and Marco to get down doing money. Drama means in Grecian action and that ‘s what happened allot through the drama. Further on I will be speaking about the two dramatic scenes that take topographic point and how the emotions affect the scene. First the scene I have chosen is the portion in the drama where Marco shows Eddie how strong he is. â€Å" can you raise this chair said Eddie â€Å" from here â€Å" said Marco and Marco lifts the chair with one manus behind his dorsum, merely to demo how strong and manfully and tuff Marco truly is in forepart of Eddie. The emotions portrayed by the characters are sad and bad 1s like fright, perturbation and unhappiness. For my concluding scene I have chosen the most action packed scene in the full drama in my ain personal sentiment. It is the scene there is a battle taking topographic point non a shouting statement fight a existent battle with knifes and fists. You can see there is a fight brewing before it all boots ‘ off where Eddie is acquiring ready to contend Marco when he comes and Beatrice is stating material to Eddie like â€Å" I love you â€Å" and she says things like â€Å" The truth is non every bit bad as blood † as in stating Marco ‘s here do non acquire excessively angry Eddie, do non inquire for a battle merely inquire for the truth. Before the two work forces get ready to contend Rodolfo shows whose side she is on by running towards Marco. At this point the emotions created here are hatred ; the bad emotions are created by Eddie because Rodolfo chose to travel and stand by Marco. The consequence it had on Eddie was non good because ended up in fall backing to force. After a small slap talk to each other Marco work stoppages out at Eddie, Marco goes for a cervix shooting â€Å" Marco work stoppages Eddie beside the cervix â€Å" . Then the flood tide comes Eddie goes to stab Marco, Marco catches the dip and spins the knife about and goes for Eddie. Louis tries to interrupt so up but it was unhappily excessively late. Eddie has been stabbed. â€Å" Anima-a-al † screamed by Marco after he stabbed. At this point the temper, background and consequence all alterations. The usage of linguistic communication with in this dramatic scene is informal because Marco screened â€Å" anima-a-al † this show that the usage of linguistic communication within this scene is informal. All in all one think arther Miller has portrayed first-class emotions and used good imagination to convey the narrative to life By kiran Patel

How Does Williams Explore the Theme of Entrapment in the Glass Menagerie Essay

Tennessee Williams explores the theme of entrapment and flight through symbolism and motifs that depict a want for escape, relationships that portray entrapment of each other and conventions of a play, such as scenery, stage directions, narrative and dialogue that heighten these ideas as a whole. The opening scene sketches out the scenery and initial symbol of entrapment for all the characters – the flat which is ‘always burning with the slow implacable fires of human depression’. As Williams describes, the flat is a symbol of depression, formulated by the era the play was set in, the 1930s – just after the Wall St. Crash, in which America suffered great economic depression. The words â€Å"burning† and ‘fires’ link into the main symbol that literally attaches itself to the flat: the fire escape. Williams describes it as ‘accidental poetic truth’, telling us that this is not only an escape from tangible fire, but also an escape from the ‘fires of human depression’ – not only the economic depression of society, but in many ways the depression of the Wingfield family themselves. As it is the only entrance into the Wingfield apartment, it is in essence, their only escape. Williams explores this symbol further through his character Tom, who frequently goes out to smoke on the fire escape in an attempt to escape the reality of his home. For example, in Scene 5, Tom goes outside to smoke and talks to the audience about how the â€Å"world was waiting for bombardments† – showing Tom’s desire for adventure – foreshadowing his flight in Scene 7. Opposite to this, showing the difference in character, Laura trips up on the fire escape in Scene 4. This shows how Laura is unable to truly escape the flat and, in many ways, does not seek flight, but is more, hurt when attempting to seek flight. This links into the symbolism of the broken glass unicorn in Scene 7, in which Jim attempts to free Laura from her shyness and peculiarity; however, in the end, Jim shatters Laura emotionally, breaking off the horn of the unicorn. Relating back to the era of depression and the idea of ‘escapism’, Tom, as Williams’ protagonist, explores the concept of escape in various forms, such as books, the cinema and his own poetry. For example, in Scene 3, Amanda takes away Tom’s book by D. H. Lawrence, who was a contemporary writer of the time, that allowed Tom to escape into his stories. When Amanda took this away, it led to an argument between the two, emphasising the importance of escapism to Tom and how, without it, he could not entirely cope with the reality of his situation. The idea of escaping to the cinema links into the want for adventure, this is also highlighted in Scene 3, when Tom talks of going to ‘opium dens’ and joining the ‘Hogan Gang’ whilst ‘leading a double-life’ and occasionally being called ‘El Diablo’ – all of these ideas are inspired by films and through sarcastically describing how he is all these, outlines the fact he feels his lifestyle is dull and without adventure – against, showing Tom seeking flight. However, Tom wanting to seek flight conflicts with his awareness that he will disrupt Amanda and Laura’s life by abandoning them. This is evident in scene, through Williams’ use of the ‘magic coffin trick’ as a symbol of how Tom wishes to be. Whilst the magician is able to escape from the coffin without removing the nails, Tom is aware of how he is unable to escape from his family without disrupting Laura or Amanda’s lives. Here, the coffin in symbolic of Tom’s family and the warehouse – how he finds it to entrap him as though he were in a coffin, giving negative connotations of being suppressed and without choice. In many ways, however, this scene also explores how Tom is trapped emotionally by his care for his family, particularly Laura. Tom confides in her his feelings and thoughts of wanting to escape like the magician, showing a degree of closeness and trust; whilst, in general, it is his care for his family, the fact that he will disrupt the nails of the coffin, that prevents him from immediately taking flight. In terms of Laura herself, the glass menagerie in the central symbol to the play and represents, not only the different aspects of Laura, that is delicate and fragile, but also how Laura is trapped within a cabinet – within the fantasy world of glass figures. This links into the phrase ‘left on the shelf’, the idea that Laura, being part of the glass collections, has been left away from leading the normal life of romance which she fantasises about with Jim, showing how she has trapped herself on the shelf by being out of touch with reality, trapped within the cabinet. Linking on from the glass figures being symbolic of Laura, the delicacy could be seen as symbolic of her disability, something Laura also believes traps her from being ‘normal’. However, this links onto the next aspect of exploring relationships, and in many ways Amanda is responsible for Laura’s belief that her disability entraps her. In Scene 2, Amanda’s entrapment of Laura becomes evident in three different lights, Laura’s fear of disappointing Amanda, Amanda’s overbearingness as a parent and the idea planted in Laura’s head by Amanda that her disability my hinder her in life. This becomes more apparent when Laura states to her mothers ‘I couldn’t face it’, referring to the fact the disappointment that would received if Laura had told Amanda that she ad quite the typewriting course. This shows how Laura feels there is a strong expectation from Amanda that she has to fulfill and this prevents her from performing her best. This expectation from Amanda links into her being overbearing rather than empathetic with Laura. The clear example in Scene 2 is that Amanda tried to send Laura to the typewriting course, and when that failed, pushed even further for Laura to find a husband. This lack of empathy is demonstrated when Amanda refers to Laura throwing up at the typewriting course as ‘nervous indigestion’. Referring to throwing up due to nerves as ‘indigestion’ underplays how Laura would have felt, suggesting it to be ridiculous. This also shows how Amanda’s lack of empathy would lead to her disappointment in Laura that Laura ‘couldn’t face’, showing how Amanda traps Laura through expectation. This idea that Laura is too embarrassed to even tell her mother is emphasised when the legend ‘The Crust of Humility’ appears on the screen – adding a dramatic effect showing Laura’s humility she feels in confessing to her mother that she threw up. The last idea relates to Laura having a cripple and how Laura feels this might hinder here in finding a husband – ‘Laura [in a tone of frightened apology]: I’m – crippled! ’. The ‘frightened apology’ suggests that being ‘crippled’ is something Laura is ashamed of and damages her, not just in the physical sense of being crippled, but in the emotional sense. Being emotionally crippled links back to throwing up at the typewriting course due to nerves; Laura is under the impression that her cripple leads her to be at a disadvantage and not ‘normal’, evoking a shyness in groups and ‘nervous indigestion’ – showing how Laura is, in many ways, trapped by her own ‘disability’ in more than one sense. However, this idea that Laura is crippled is overplayed by Amanda, who ironically highlights Laura’s cripple whilst trying to desperately avoid it, ‘you’re not crippled (†¦ ) hardly noticeable, even! ’. Through turning this into an exclamatory phrase does the opposite of what Amanda is trying to achieve; by pointing out Laura does have a cripple she highlights the fact it exists. For Laura, this would highlight the fact that she crippled and furthermore, add to her shyness which prevents her from truly taking flight. Overall, despite Laura partly trapping herself by her own emotional disabilities, it is Amanda that enhances this and, in essence, traps Laura. Amanda being overbearing plays out in scene 3, when Tom confronts her with the frustration he has felt from Amanda’s lack of empathy for him that leads to her overbearingness. For example, Amanda refuses to let Tom go to the movies: ‘You’re going to listen! No more insolence from you! I’m at the end of my patience! ’ showing how not only Amanda tries to restrain Tom, but also talks down to him like a child, with the use of constant exclamatory phrases that give the impression of shouting. Tom wanting to go to the cinema, as previously stated, is a symbol of his escapism, therefore, Amanda wanting him to stay is her attempt to entrap him – talking to him like a child shows the want and need to control him from seeking flight. This could be due to the fact Amanda sees Mr. Wingfield in Tom and suspects that Tom will soon take his own flight as well. Amanda further traps top by placing upon him the burden of the family, ‘Jeopardize the security of us all? ’, which is what Tom was possibly trying to escape from in the first place. Although being the ‘man of the family’ creates a natural role of responsibility that in many ways traps Tom from leaving, Amanda emphasises this more by telling Tom that he will end their security if he leaves. By highlighting this point, although it is intended to keep Tom at home, in many ways, may push him further away as it increases the burden placed on him to look after the family. Furthermore, by stopping Tom from going to the cinemas, Amanda is denying Tom of escapism in movies and this could be what also led to his eventual flight, along with the want to escape the dwelling of the Wingfields all together. Overall, Tennessee Williams explores the idea of flight and entrapment through not only symbols, but the relationships between each character, showing how they are entrapped, not only by society, but by each other and themselves.

Regional Innovation Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Regional Innovation Policy - Essay Example Any regional initiative must evolve from a partnership of business, governments, non-profits and education/training institutions. In the Cleveland area, a partnership in North-eastern Ohio undertook a project to identify industry "clusters" within the region that were competitive in the global economy. The project, the Northeast Ohio Regional Economic Development Strategies Initiative, is a partnership of the Akron Regional Development Board or ARDB, Cleveland Tomorrow (a committee of the CEO's of the region's largest companies), and the Greater Cleveland Growth Association or GCGA (the Chamber of Commerce for the City of Cleveland). NOREDSI's goal was to promote industrial clusters in the region, so as to become more globally competitive. This initiative sought to generate a bottom-up, private sector program in which interrelated private firms within an identifiable "cluster" could work together to identify and resolve common needs and concerns. This research identified six industry clusters (metalworking, plastic products and chemicals, motor vehicles and equipment, insurance, biomedical products, and instruments & controls) that were relatively competitive or had competitive advantages in the region. In a series of cluster forums with these industries, private sector participants identified six main issues as barriers to retaining regional competitive advantages. They were: workforce/education; technology/R&D; entrepreneurship; regulatory/tax policies; quality of life; and, infrastructure. Unfortunately for the Cleveland area, the need for human capital development appears to be especially great if its major industries are not to wither. If a region is attempting to be globally competitive, a well-trained workforce is essential to increasing the levels of productivity. One of the public sector's most vital economic development initiatives, first, is to reach consensus with regional industries on the skill sets needed by firms and, then, to adopt policies ensuring that students can attain them in all districts throughout the region. Another very important area is constituted by the services that state and local governments provide to businesses directly. These include promoting entrepreneurial skills and technological upgrading, providing an advanced physical infrastructure, and helping businesses through tax and regulatory relief. Finally, state governments should develop and encourage taxing policies, which benefit regions. The most commonly used example of tax policy designed to enhance the economic development benefits to a region is Minnesota's shared tax base. Put simply, economic benefits (e.g., taxes) generated by a firm's location in a city in the region accrue to all cities in the region. The regional level may be important for firms attempting to achieve global competitiveness. The question arises as to what strategies local communities can commence, and what policies local or state governments can initiate, in order to raise the innovativeness and competitiveness of regional firms. Regional innovation policy and its relationship with the regio

Area 51 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Area 51 - Essay Example This place was preferred as it is located far away from the city. Few years later, various lights started appearing and since then heavy security is provided around that area. This made the government to shut down all the places from where the area 51 could be seen. This area is surrounded by Groom Lake on one side and NTs on the other side. Rachel is the nearest place from Area 51.Later people started to believe that the area is used to test aircrafts and other UFOs which caused the lights to appear. This area is comprised of workplaces, houses and runways for the aircraft. Railway facility is enabled as there are some underground lines that connect some of the nearby states. This place is also used as the training centre for the military and security forces. The aircrafts used in the military are tested and experimented in this place. Hence area 51 was helpful in conducting test operations of the proposed aircrafts. normal movements are observed and kept under supervision using the radar. The area surrounding Area51 is acquired by government and it is made sure that no outsider is allowed inside. Since the place is out of the reach of normal population, it is difficult to locate this place easily. Area 51 is considered as the head quarters of the U.S military and Air force. (Strickland 2005).The happenings of this place are maintained as a secret. The officials are divided into groups and assigned to various projects. They would be under the control of group heads and they take care of the ongoing projects. Each time a new aircraft is designed, they are tested to ensure proper working of the system. Satellites play a vital role in these areas. As each and every action has to be under the supervision, satellites are used. Security is the important aspect of this area, as the information regarding the country's military and air force have to be kept intact. Circuit cameras are installed in all the important locations to record the activities. Only few people are given permission to enter the restricted area. Many level of security checks are conducted to make sure only authorized people are permitted. The information pertaining to the aircrafts and their development are also kept as a secret. The project head and the team members are instructed not to disclose any information to others.(Desjardins 2008). Every employee should sign a bond that specifies the details regarding this place will be kept as a secret. A person working in an aircraft is not allowed to gather information regarding another project that is being developed. Even access to information from the system is limited. Unless a person has undergone the highest level of security clearance, he is not allowed to access the details pertaining to each and every system. Since Area 51 is composed of military and security of a country, high security is maintained. Inside Area 51 Since the area is not open for public movement, the officials and employees make use of separate planes. Unique identification numbers are given to each aircraft which are being used specifically for this purpose. Professional trained people are appointed as pilots, so that they can easily handle the specially designed flights. The area is prohibited from trespassers and warning boards are kept at each and every

Bullying in school Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Bullying in school - Research Paper Example The data so gathered has been analyzed to arrive at appropriate findings, based on which the researcher has endorsed the conclusions. In addition, the researcher has also offered certain recommendations that will offer better solutions for the management of the problem. Bullying in Schools in the US Section 1: Introduction Background: Humans have an inherent tendency for indulging in violent or non-violent acts to harass or otherwise disturb others and it reflects on children studying in schools also. The statutory definition of harassment or school bullying perceives it as a pattern of premeditated behavior that occurs in school premises, school buses for at the functions sponsored by schools and include but are not limited to â€Å"written, electronic, verbal or physical acts† that may cause â€Å"reasonable fear or harm† to the person or belonging of another student or impede with his or her academic pursuit or other activities (Bullying Definition 1). Evidence sugge sts that the issues arising out of bully-victim-bystander behavior as a dominant public health problem that hampers the ability of children to â€Å"develop in healthy ways† besides compromising their learning potential (Cohen & Freiberg 1). The phenomenon of school violence as a consequence of bullying has a long history in the US and statistics point to the fact that in 2010 alone, reported cases of about â€Å"828,000 nonfatal victimizations† occurred in schools that teach children between 12 – 18 years of age (Understanding School Violence 1). The concern heightens in the light of overwhelming evidence, which shows that â€Å"7%† of teachers in such schools have reported threats of injury or physical attack from students while in 2009 alone â€Å"20% students† reported the presence of gangs in schools (1). Apart from physical violence, other forms of bullying also occur in the school settings. These include verbal abuse, discriminatory behavior , threatening through electronic media including social networks etc which entail psychological anguish for the victims. These factors point to the prevalence of a grim situation in schools across the nation where children are not safe or free from risks of physical and mental harm. Problem Statement: Though deaths relating to school violence or bullying are found to be rare, there is no denial of the fact that this problem causes â€Å"nonfatal injuries† to many students besides entailing grave mental traumas to others (1). In addition, it can lead to a wide range of negative results for the victims and bystanders as well as the perpetrators, including substance abuse and suicide or mental problems such as â€Å"depression, anxiety† or fear psychosis (1). The situation prevalent in schools across the United States during the present day intimidates students and they feel â€Å"unsafe in schools† (Cohen & Freiberg 4). In order for students to attain the objectiv es of learning, it is imperative that they are provided with a safe and conducive environment where they can positively indulge in the learning process and enhance their creative skills. When the element of safety is absent, it can distract the students from the learning process and they will be remaining focused on the inherent risks that they are

Microeconomics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 11

Microeconomics - Essay Example In other words, the firm should produce at a point whereby if it spends a dollar on a unit of labour, this should give us most output as a dollar it spends on extra capital. The above graph shows the point at which the firm minimizes the cost of production. In other words, the iso-cost line is in tangency with the isoquant. This is at the point whereby the last dollar spent on labour yields as must output as the dollar that the firm spends on capital. This is as the below function explains. The slope of the isoquant is the marginal rate of substitution of labour and Capital (MRTSKL). This should be equal to the slope of the iso-cost line (w/r). From the function, the last dollar spent on labour yields MPL/w that is equivalent to the output of the last dollar that the firm spends on capital MPX/r. At this point, the level of production is optimal. In other words, the firm minimizes the cost of production (Quirk, 2012). For a monopolistic firm that is facing a demand curve that is linear, it must produce at a point whereby the demand curve is elastic. In other words, the firm must produce at a point whereby there is a high demand elasticity of price change. This is because for the firm to increase its revenue, it has to sell additional units of output. In addition, for the firm to sell the additional units of output, it has to reduce its prizes per unit. This happens at the point where the demand curve is elastic. At this point, the sale for an extra unit yields more revenue since the percentage decrease of the price is lower than the percentage increase in the quantity demanded (Nicholson, 2008). At any other point other than the elastic point, decrease in price would not result to increase in the revenue. For example, at the inelastic point, the reduction in price would result in a reduction in revenue. This is because the percentage drop-off in price is higher in comparison with the

Globalization and the effects on developing countries and MNCs Dissertation

Globalization and the effects on developing countries and MNCs - Dissertation Example Opinions differ on the extent of change and the impact that it has created.This change has taken place due to what is now commonly known as ‘Globalization’.Globalization according to Frankelmeans integration through international trade of markets in goods and services, financial integration through international trade in assetsGlobalization leads to the formation of a big commercial enterprise where the industrialized nations are favored at the expense of other nations, says MacPherson (2001).Today globalization means differently to different people. Globalization is integration through international trade of goods and services with the help of certain measures and regulations. Globalization is the concept of moving towards single-world society. In this effort there has been rising share of economic activity in the world. The aim was to open the world market to everybody and was thought to be a solution to social and economic disorder prevailing in the world. Globalizati on has brought about significant changes in the global economy. The term globalization has been embraced by politicians, academics, journalists and commentators. Globalization continues to grow in its effort for a coherent global economy previously separated by culture, geography, or nationality.While globalization provides opportunities to many people, it has also caused impoverishment to many groups and societies. Globalization has led to rapid and sudden changes in information and communications, which too has advantages and pitfalls. There are conflicting stands on this issue.

NPR Verses Commercial Radio Shows Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

NPR Verses Commercial Radio Shows - Assignment Example The 3-hour show is hosted by Steve Inskeep and Monagne Renee. It is a very interesting show which offers a lot of news and entertainment to the listeners. Indeed, the organization of this show is very much different from the rest of the commercial radio stations. Since KASU 91.9 FM is not aiming at making any profit, it is purely committed to providing uninterrupted show. Meaning, all discussions, music and news are not frequently interrupted by advertisements the way it is in the commercial radio stations. This makes it so appealing and interesting at all times. In this regard, I would like to point out that KASU 91.9 FM should continue to be supported by the public. It is worth supporting since it has a lot of education, entertainment and news to offer to the listeners. Unlike the commercial radio stations, it does not generate money from commercial adverts. This explains why its content is properly designed to suite the entire society which listens to it. Therefore, they need to support all its programs by constantly contributing to it and listening to all its

Evaluate the Approach of Franklin Roosevelt in Dealing With the Essay

Evaluate the Approach of Franklin Roosevelt in Dealing With the Problems of the Great Depression - Essay Example A large chunk of population was using credit to buy the necessities of life and the consumers were losing their buying power. The production levels fell and the businesses failed. The farmers also suffered as a result of this as the food prices fell (Burgan 9) and the primary industries like mining suffered the most. The USA economy also saw the â€Å"Black Tuesday† in this time when the stock market crashed. Other problems associated with the Great Depression were that a lot of banks had to close down as they had invested large part of the people. When this started happening, a panic was seen throughout the entire country as people started withdrawing their own cash from the banks, resulting in turmoil and more bank closure. Since the banks did not have that much money on hands with them, the people who did not reach the banks in time became bankrupt. In this great depression even farmers were not safe because during this time there were severe droughts as the Great Plains we re hit by dust storms. These storms destroyed everything in their path, the farmer’s crops so that they were not even able to feed themselves in addition of being in debt. The Great Depression started in the United States in the presidency of Herbert Hoover who often gave the hopes for a bright future for the USA but majority of people blamed him for the economic crisis that the USA faced and hence his reelection was out of question (Marsh 8). Therefore in 1932 Franklin Roosevelt was elected as the President of the country with the people banking him on hopes to get them out the disastrous situation. As soon as Roosevelt assumed the office he closed down all banks and ordered them to open when the conditions had stabilized. He then initiated the New Deal. He took a series of decisions and the legislations were passed which the historians see as the 3 R’s. They are recovery, relief and reform. The relief part tended to introduce short term programs that were aimed at fi nishing the immediate sufferings of the poor, recovery aimed at the long term programs to bring the economy back at its pre depression level and reform was aimed at bringing in laws and changes that will prevent future depression like these. The ‘new deal’ was broken down into many parts. The first part consisted of policies of the trickledown effect. The programs pointed towards the Keynesian set of economic policies. The first new deal aimed which was a series of acts in 1933 included the agricultural adjustment act which accepted that low prices resulted from an overproduction of crops therefore the government gave subsidies to farmers so that they produce lesser so that the crop prices can go up again. However some people said that this contradicted with the fact that so many people were going hungry in the country. It also failed to deal with the primary problem of the great depression which was the falling consumer demand due to unemployment and continuously decre asing wages. Then again there was a National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) in 1933 which said centralized planning to combat this crisis (Ruggiero 41). Industries were advised to (The New Deal or Radical Change) avoid the cut throat competition and that they would not be broken up but instead would work in collaboration with each other and be controlled by organizing the labor and the governmental activities. They will plan out the activities of the

Family Business Succession Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Family Business Succession - Research Paper Example Family business succession has become one of the critical issues in the modern family organizations. This is more so in terms of leadership and the management of the firms. In most cases, conflicts arise among the stakeholders on who is supposed to take the leadership in case the leadership positions remain vacant due to various causes. It can also lead to intergenerational conflicts which can also be very critical the existence of an organization. This may affect the overall performance and to some extent the existence of an organization. There are various factors that determine the succession of business from one family member to another. It is important to note that there is a significant difference between intra-family succession and transitions between family and non-family members (Handler 298). As already noted, family business represents the largest fraction of the global economy. Therefore, they are essential to the well being of the global economy. Poor succession in family businesses can therefore adversely affect the performance of an organization. Many countries like Europe have come up with various measures to make enterprises aware of the importance of having a thorough planning of the succession process in a timely fashion. This is in an effort to rescue family organizations from falling. ... It is important to note that children will not be automatically willing to be part of the family business. In some cases, children who have grown up in a business may become bored and therefore may not be willing to be successors (ABC Business Consulting par 7). This is one of the reason why there is a need to have a next generation preparation on order to promote the performance of an organization. They may also take the business without seriousness, the fact that may dip an organization to failure. In order to come up with a top performing generation in a family business, it is necessary to have the young members of the family do simple tasks within the business on part time basis. This will provide them with insights to the business. It will also help the young generation to understand the business from the bottom up and also gaining a strong work ethic (Lansberg 76). Early age involvement in business activities will also encourage the young generation to pursue higher education i n order to take leadership positions in the future. In preparation for the future generation, it is also necessary to take a family member to work in an outside organization. This will help in broadening training and background. By working in the family business and later working in an outside organization, a family member will be satisfactorily justified to take leadership positions in a family business upon coming back. There are several factors that must be taken into consideration when preparing for the future generation to join a family business. To begin with, it is highly recommended to have a family member work for another organization before being given a

O Father, Where Art Thou Essay Example for Free

O Father, Where Art Thou Essay The article, â€Å"O Father, Where Art Thou? † which was written by Joshua Alston and published in Newsweek last May, basically explained that the notion that most black fathers are irresponsible parents is not entirely true. According to the author, while statistics show that there is an alarming rate of black children living in homes without a father—50 percent, it doesn’t necessarily mean that all black fathers are the same. In fact, Alston wrote that there are a number of black fathers who are responsible parents and who have been supportive and caring for their children even in the most unstable and volatile situations. This, according to the author, is greatly illustrated in Tal-Nehsi Coates’ memoir, â€Å"A Beautiful Struggle,† in which he depicted how his black father, Paul, was a source of stability in security in a community where violence is rampant. Moreover, Alston claimed that the image of black fathers were significantly tainted by songs and shows such as â€Å"Papa Was A Rolling Stone† and â€Å"The Maury Show,† which both portrayed, in a way, that black men are bad fathers and, as a result, gave rise to the negative views towards them. On the other hand, the problem with most black fathers, according to the author, is that they think they equate being a successful parent to making a lot of money or being a breadwinner. Therefore, if black fathers aren’t able to substantially provide for their families, they opt to leave home instead of having their pride hurt. Based on the article, this is what people like Coates are trying to change. According to him, black fathers shouldn’t be made to feel like failures just because they aren’t living to the role of breadwinner. Coates also claimed that being a father also entails love, leadership, and teaching his children values and lessons in life. In his memoir, Coates wrote that he was raised well by his father, which also enabled him to develop his critical thinking. In short, according to the author, in order to reduce the number of black fathers who are absent in their homes, people should view them in a different light and look at the other aspects of their lives instead of just focusing on their inability to provide for their families.

Effects of Internet Online Booking in Travel Agencies

Effects of Internet Online Booking in Travel Agencies Can High Street Travel Agencies Survive  With Online Travel Agencies? Contents (Jump to) Chapter 2 Literature Review Chapter 3 – Methodology Chapter 4 Findings and Analysis 4.1 UK Travel Industry, Current Analysis 4.2 Composition of Travel The travel industry represents the classic example of firms operating as agents between the seller and buyers as represented by the multitude of offers that are present in the industry. The foundation for this process was established in the pre-computer era that utilized direct reservation systems. This mode inculcated the industry and became the accepted operational norm as airlines had an exterior sales force as represented by these independent operations, and customers had a means to wade through the difficult maze of airline flight possibilities. The advent of the internet brought a new variable into the scenario whereby it provided consumers with a choice as a result of the capabilities of this medium to collect and display flight availability, schedules and pricing through search engine compiling. Transaction costs were lowered as a result of economies of scale and 24 hour availability, with the heart of the process fueled by utilizing consumers to conduct the work in finding b argains. This examination will seek to equate whether the traditional travel agencies known as High Street, representing brick and mortar operations in the industry parlance, can survive the onslaught to their business as represented by online travel agencies. The travel industry represents a phenomenon that we are all familiar with in terms of verbiage, however, the definitive meanings as represented by specific words may not be as clear as one would think. In order to provide the necessary verbal underpinnings for this analysis of ‘if High Street Travel Agencies can survive with online Travel Agencies’, a definition of terms seems in order. Travel represents a word that emanates from ‘travailen’ in Middle English, which means to toil, and has its roots in the French word ‘travailler (Wikipedia, 2007). It, travel, is defined as (American Heritage Dictionary, 2007) 1. being transported â€Å"†¦ from one place to another †¦Ã¢â‚¬  as represented by either a trip or journey, and, 2. the process and or time entailed in moving a person from a particular location to another. Travel can be further explained as tourism, which is the visiting of family and or friends, the process of commuting as represent ed by traveling to either work or other functions, the act of migration in moving one’s local or as a constant series of moves as illustrated by nomadic peoples, and as pilgrimages for religious reasons (Wikipedia, 2007). In the context of this examination, travel shall be defined by the transport of individuals for pleasure, tourism, business and personal reasons. A travel agency â€Å"†¦offers its services in the capacity of an agent †¦Ã¢â‚¬  and provides â€Å"†¦ travel and tourism related services to the public †¦Ã¢â‚¬  as achieved through the agency’s arrangements and agreements with â€Å"†¦ airlines, cruise lines, hotels and other suppliers of travel related services† (Department of the Treasury, 2002). Travel agencies â€Å"†¦ may contract directly †¦Ã¢â‚¬  with the aforementioned companies or through what is termed a â€Å"†¦ coordinating body such as the Airlines Reporting Corporation †¦Ã¢â‚¬  as well as other such agencies or bodies (Department of the Treasury, 2002). In addition to the aforementioned services, travel agencies may offer varied financial related services such as traveler’s checks and trip insurance. An important segment of the travel industry is represented by tourism, which Hermann Von Schullard, Austrian economist, stated is the â€Å" †¦ sum total of operators †¦ which directly relate to the entry †¦ stay and movement of foreigners †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (MedLibrary.org, 2007). The introduction of internet based online travel information, booking and ticketing systems introduced a new variable into the market which allows consumers to research ticket prices, schedules and related aspects at discounted prices as a result of the lower commissioning fees online services charge airlines for acting in their capacity as middlemen. This phenomenon caught on with the public and market share increasingly shifted in favor of online travel services as lower prices, instant access and no frill airlines captured their imagination. High Street travel agencies are thus caught in a battle for survival as a result, however there are market variables that indicate the penetration rates of online travel agencies has been slowing, but massive damage has already been done. If High Street travel agencies are to survive, they will have to capitalize upon inherent facets of customer attitudes and preferences as well as what their service type offers that can not be duplicated by c omputerized access that does not offer human problem solving skills for complex travel related problems that exist in varied circumstances. Chapter 2 Literature Review The rapid pace of changes and developments in the travel industry as a result of travel packages, consumer attitudes, economic variables, utilization histories with varied forms of booking methodologies and related aspects rendered the examination of the subject matter as contemporary. The research methodology deemed best suited to this study was ‘descriptive’ in that it is based upon the use of data, information, facts and associated resources to reveal the way things are. To this end, this examination relied heavily on Internet sources to provide the aforementioned. The definitions utilized herein to provide a basis for understanding of travel agencies as represented by the statement provided by United States Department of the Treasury was used as it represented a definition honed from a governmental classification of an industry sector which represented the culmination of intensive study to arrive at its meaning in a universal sense that is applicable. This same approach was utilized to conduct data and survey research which entailed the collection of information from the Tourism Society of England, the International Air Transport Association, ITB Berlin and IPK International, Internet World Stats and other sources. In conducting the research on the question as to whether High Street travel agencies can survive with online travel agencies, the first aspect that was noted is that the various travel and tourism books offered information on each sector from a dated perspective that did not take into account new developments, many of which appeared in 2005 through 2006 as new travel packages and the a new travel sector, cruises, emerged as an industry force. The preceding contention is supported by the data uncovered by surveys conducted by Travel Weekly in the United Kingdom that asked respondents in the travel agency sector direct questions regarding their impression and view of their industry. Such a source represents more viable research that was conducted during 2006, offers a more comprehensive base of industry information on how things actually are as it asked the experts in the field of study, travel agents themselves. Their responses on what they viewed as the emerging segment of most importance, cruises, which also represents their most viable revenue stream is data which was not found in the numerous research studies conducted by the World Trade Organization, PricewaterHouseCoopers, Accenture and World Stats. These sources were extremely valuable in providing supporting data on trends, patterns and other facets of the travel and tourism sector, however, information from industry insiders in the High Street sector represented t he foundation for the question being examined. ITB Berlin and IPK International offered invaluable information concerning the breakdown of consumer utilization of travel agency sectors, as did PriceWaterHouseCoopers and Internet World Stats. Accenture’s research gave depth to the previous information as it provided data on how and what consumers do in the process of seeking travel services. Michael Porter’s Five Forces Model provided the means to correlate all of the indicated data and survey information into a concise summary of High Street and online travel agency competitive points to hone in on the variables and factors that the prior sources offered. Chapter 3 Methodology In examining the context of whether High Street travel agencies can survive with online travel agencies it was determined that the research would have to delve into the nuances of the travel and tourism sector to determine the following: Components of the industry from an historical perspective Key aspects of varied consumer attitudes, preferences, trends and views Travel industry product components, trends, developments and projections Trend of High Street and online travel agency market share progressions Relationships and importance of differing travel segment components in both sectors in relationship to their inherent strengths and weaknesses as applied against each service model Variables and factors at work, along with developing trends that might have a bearing on the examination To accomplish the foregoing the methodology selected entailed the utilization of secondary research of a limited historical nature to provide background information to understand the context of the industry sectors and their changing relationships. The preceding was accomplished through the use of books and journals along with statistical information. Since changes in any industry occur quickly the reliance upon books and journals for contemporary developments was deemed as inappropriate and inconclusive. Therefore, to determine the present status of both sectors, the research and operative methodology centered upon the analysis of data as well as trends and inherent characteristics. To accomplish the preceding quantitative research was determined as the methodology as it â€Å"†¦ generates new information about the world †¦Ã¢â‚¬  by virtue of (University of North Carolina, 2007): Objectivity, whereby the potential for bias that could potentially affect and or influence the outcome is kept to a minimum through the collection of varying points of view from a number of differing sources. Rigorous, in that the researcch process utilizes data to uncover obvious as well as obsure information, with attention to accuracy and detail as underlying precepts. Systematic, in that the conduct of research seeks coherent data and information in order to equate the true undercurrents of what is the case as opposed to what appears to be the case in the study and analysis. The subject under examination represents a puzzle that is ruled by the governing question (International Research Network, 2007). The preceding helped to determine the reseach process, the identification of the sources of data as well as information, and the methodologies to be utilized. Kravitz (2006) states that there are differing types of research which can be used in a study. The one selected for this examination included descriptive along with quantitative as it entails the collection of information and trends through the review of data, surveys and examination of varied sources. Kravitz (2006) indicates that this research type is best at describing the way things are, and that the review of prior research aids in the process, along with contempory information. Chapter 4 Findings and Analysis 4.1 UK Travel Industry, Current Analysis As of 2002 there were 3,181 travel agencies in the United Kingdom, representing a growth rate of minus 17.2% that generated $11, 659 billion in sales (International Air Transport Association, 2002). Globally, the travel industry generates in excess of one trillion USD annually and is the largest industrial sector (Vogel, 2006, pp. 50-59). The Tourism Society of England indicates that domestically this segment of the industry generates 75 billion pounds in a highly fragmented industry (Tourism Society, 2007). In polls conducted by Travel Weekly, the British based industry travel magazine, travel agents were asked their views on a number of areas (Travel Weekly, 2007). 47% indicated that cruises would represent the biggest growth area in travel in 2007, followed by long haul trips at 32%, and domestic breaks at 21% (Travel Weekly, 2007). The implications of the preceding seemingly bode well for travel agencies in that these types of trips consumers seek the aid of professionals to aid them with arrangements, features, pricing and the varied packages that are available, which can be quite extensive. Travel agents indicated that they were worried, however regarding the state of the travel industry entering 2007, registering 61%, with 26% indicating confidence and 13% checking indifference as their response (Travel Weekly, 2007). Travel agent responses provide a valuable insight as to how they feel concerning various aspects and as the most up to date informational source such is being utiliz ed to provide a gauge on the prospects of High Street travel agencies and their battle for market share with online travel agencies. A significant response to the polls in this regard can be found in what travel agents thought about the price wars lowering High Street fares. 36% indicated that they believed that such would end up in lower prices, while 42% replied no, with 21% indicating probably (Travel Weekly, 2007). With respect to the dollar to pound exchange rate that has increased in favor of the pound, travel agents indicated that they felt Christmas shoppers would benefit the most, 51%, followed by New York City retailers at 23%, High Street travel agencies, 15%, and online retailers and airlines at 11% (Travel Weekly, 2007). The preceding represents an indication of travel agent’s attitudes toward High Street travel agencies that mirrors their responses concerning their battle for market share. This view was also confirmed by travel agent responses to if there is any future for independent High Street travel agents. 54% stated that they felt there would always be room for independent agents, with 27% indicating the affirmative but as part of a larger buying group, and 19% stating that they would not be able to compete against the larger companies (Travel Weekly, 2007). When asked about the importance of cruises to their industry, travel agents responded in the following fashion. 53% indicated that this area is growing in importance, with 21% stating that it represents the one area that they make money (Travel Weekly, 2007). 17% indicated that this segment is too complex and that they do not sell cruise packages, and 9% stated that cruise business is vital to their business only if they sell these via self packaging (Travel Weekly, 2007). Given that 47% indicated that the cruise business will enjoy the largest segment of growth in the industry in 2007, that seemingly indicates that High Street travel agencies are factoring in this segment as an important revenue stream. The utilization of the Internet as a booking method has seen high growth in Europe, mostly in flights as well as accommodations (ITB Berlin and IPK International, 2006, p. 13). The foregoing represents an approximated one/third of all outbound trips and also entails online booking for some segments of an individual’s trip as represented by hotel and vehicle reservations (ITB Berlin and IPK International, 2006, p. 13). ITB Berlin and IPK International (2006, p. 13) reports that the utilization of the internet is primarily the mode used for airline ticket purchases, with accommodations second, however, vehicle reservations leads both categories as a percentage of sales of the total. Table 1- Travel Bookings in Europe, January Through August 2006 (as a percentage of pre-bookings in total travel) (ITB Berlin and IPK International, 2006, p. 13) Total Internet Accommodations 78% 37% Flight 63% 38% Travel insurance 23% 6% Bus/coach 15% 2% Rental car 15% 10% Ferry 9% 7% Train 7% 4% Others 5% 3% Interestingly, travel agents utilize the internet as a source of information and the use of tour operators in placing their rates and packages online represents a key reason for the preceding (ITB Berlin and IPK International, 2006, p. 13). Consumers utilize the Internet for a large percentage of their travel arrangements, especially in the area of airline, accommodation and auto rental, as shown by the following: Table 2 – Information Sources Used by European Outbound Travelers, January through August 2006 (ITB Berlin and IPK International, 2006, p. 14) Source % share Internet 45 Travel agency 20 Friends/relatives 17 Travel guide 8 Travel brochure 7 Newspaper 3 Tourist office 2 TV 2 Others 5 The preceding seemingly indicates that incursions by Internet based booking in the cruise travel segment is going to remain low as a result of the complexities encountered in making selections and wading through the complex data and choices. As the main revenue source and growth area for High Street travel agencies, consolidation of the services offered in this area represents a strong foundation to be built upon. The consumer climate in the United Kingdom exceeds the confidence of travel agencies with respect to their outlooks. Travel Weekly’s (2007) poll in this segment indicated that 26% of them were confident, while ITB Berlin and IPK International (2006, p. 18) found that the United Kingdom and Spain are at the top of its consumer confidence survey as well as percentage of household consumption. Termed as a willingness to buy, said factor represents increased demand in the UK during 2007, and as the United Kingdom’s placement in this category has consistently been at the top, bodes well for the continued growth forecast in the industry. The growth in eCommerce has shifted the manner and way individuals utilize travel services. Originating in a paper on packet switching by Leonard Kleinrock of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1961, the theoretical underpinnings of Klienrocks work set the stage for the ARANET which was the distant forerunning to the internet (Internet Society, 2007). That beginning has reshaped the manner of global commerce, information availabilities, and created an entirely new set of industry classifications. One such manifestation is illustrated in the travel industry. The ability to search large quantities of data easily and instantly through varied online web sites, and travel agencies without any sales or pressure tactics makes the internet a technology that is ideally suited to the travel industry. In this medium consumers can search and explore at their leisure at any time reviewing all manner of destinations, travel times, pricing and comparative offers. This used to be the exclu sive domain of travel agencies, the search for fares, times, routes, seating, destinations and packages, through information networks that were unavailable to the public. Consumers do not have to queue at call centers, telephone or take a trip to High Street travel agencies, they can simply click online and search easy to find categories from their Internet browser. Online travel agents are able to offer 24 hour access to information that consumers can access and compare at any time, representing a boon to locating the best prices, dates, deals, destinations and packages. The online travel industry is just a decade old, however the impact of online agencies has been tremendous (Economist, 2005). The benefit of the Internet to consumers and travel providers such as airlines, hotels, car rentals and associated sectors is that it saves administrative costs enabling them to offer lower fares and rates (Economist, 2005). There are 37,600,000 internet users in the United Kingdom estimated for 2006 against a population of 60,000,000 people representing a 62.5% penetration rate with user growth rising by 144% between the period 2000 and 2006 (Internet World Stats, 2007a). The UK ranks 6th globally in the total number of Internet users (Internet World Stats, 2007b), and ranks 20th on terms of penetration rate (Internet World Stats, 2007c). Table 3 – Top 20 Countries with the Highest Number of Internet Users (Internet World Stats, 2007b) Rank Country Internet Users Population (2006 est.) Internet Penetration 1 United States 209,024,921 299,093,237 69.9% 2 China 123,000,000 1,306,724,067 9.4% 3 Japan 86,300,000 128,389,000 67.2% 4 Germany 50,616,207 82,515,988 61.3% 5 India 40,000,000 1,112,225,812 3.6% 6 United Kingdom 37,600,000 60,139,274 62.5% 7 Korea (South) 33,900,000 50,633,265 67.0% Table 4 Top 20 Countries with the Highest Number of Internet Users (Internet World Stats, 2007c) Rank Country Penetration (% Population) Internet Users Latest Data Population (2006 Est.) 1 Iceland 86.8% 258,000 297,072 2 New Zealand 76.3% 3,200,000 4,195,729 3 Sweden 74.9% 6,800,000 9,076,757 4 Portugal 74.1% 7,782,760 10,501,051 5 Australia 70.7% 14,663,622 20,750,052 6 Falkland Islands 70.4% 1,900 2,699 7 Denmark 69.4% 3,762,500 5,425,373 8 United States 69.3% 207,161,706 299,093,237 19 Netherlands 65.9% 10,806,328 16,386,216 20 United Kingdom 62.5% 37,600,000 60,139,274 The significance of these figures is that online travel agencies effectively are accessible to 62.5% of the UK population, which becomes more imposing when one considers that 16.7 million United Kingdom residents traveled outside of the country during 2006 (National Statistics, 2007). The utilization of travel outside the UK is utilized as internal country travel represents means generally using short air trips, train, car and coach for brief trips and stays and does not factor into the type of business profile utilized to a high percentage by High Street travel agencies. The impact of the Internet has caused a dramatic decrease in the number of brick and mortar travel agency locations in the United Kingdom as a result of shifting consumer booking patterns. During 2005, the intrusion of the Internet into the brick and mortar travel agency business caused 28 travel agency companies to fail, not to mention the numerous closing of the offices of the larger chains (m-travel.com, 2005). I n 2005, the number of brick and mortar travel agencies totaled 6,124, down considerably from the 7,513 in 1989 (m-travel.com, 2005). The good news is that cruise ship travel is up substantially, and the travel / tourism industry has been experiencing solid growth. However, the cruise ship segment is the sector of the industry that has shown the most dramatic gains. Lines such as Carnival, Princess, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean have either ordered or put into service over 30 ships in a few years representing a tremendous capital investment (Prestige Travel Systems, 2007). The lure of cruise ships lies in their first class accommodations and immersing passengers into a totally contained package of luxury, gourmet meals, on ship shops, athletics, movies, entertainment, restaurants all while cruising to destinations. Carrying in the area of 4,000 passengers, with 10 to 15 decks, the typical cruise ship boosts in the area of 10 restaurants, 250 waiters, and most are the same size or larger than the Queen Mary 2 (Guardian Unlimited, 2006). Industry executives in the cruise ship sector report that projections in cruise ship travel forecast it to increase in 2007 (Cruise Critic, 2006). The growth of this segment is good news to brick and mortar travel agencies as airline travel booking has been and is shifting to the online sector. The airline travel segment as a result of the Internet, and user penetration in the UK, 62.5%, has seen an increase in online bookings to the point where it now registers 53%, according to a survey conducted by Accenture (2005). The Report stated that 63% of respondents have booked hotels online, and that nearly two-thirds of those responding to the survey indicating that they expect to increase their use of low cost airlines where price is the primary consideration (Accenture, 2005). One of the key facets uncovered is that consumers are highly price sensitive and that since the 2003 survey it was noted that there has been a significant shift to online bookings from a live agent (Accenture, 2005). Table 5 – Primary Method of Booking Business Travel (Accenture, 2005) Online 53% Phone with a live agent 27% In person 12% Other 8% Table 6 – Internet Use for Flight Arrangements (Accenture, 2005) Research flight times and availability 79% Purchase airline tickets 66% Update and or change reservations 28% Specify personal flight preferences 26% Airline check in 22% Access account history or receipts online 19% None of the above 12% Other 2% Table 7 – Personal Travel Preferences, Airline Type (Accenture, 2005) Major network carriers 48% Low cost airlines 46% Not applicable 5% Other 1% The foregoing indicates a high do it yourself mode in airline bookings whereby the comparisons are rather straight forward. Features incorporated into online sites such as arranging your own seating has proved to be extremely popular, as has the printing of boarding passes and tickets (Economist, 2005). In fact, many online travel agencies are offering more than simply travel tickets and accommodations. Some have gifts shopping, hotel ranking sites, comments from other travelers, tickets to events and more, all in the effort to make the experience personable and get consumers to either remain on the site longer or return (Economist, 2005). As indicated under Table 6 Internet Use for Flight Arrangements, 79% of Internet users utilize online sites to research flight times and availability, while 66% actually purchase tickets. Naturally the more comfortable one

Tim Hortons Design of Goods Services

Tim Hortons Design of Goods Services Tim Hortons Inc. is a fast food giant operating in North America and Canada. The Companys offerings includes premium coffee, flavored cappuccinos, specialty teas, home-style soups, fresh sandwiches, wraps, hot breakfast sandwiches and fresh baked goods. While the company is expanding it is challenged by the concerns of design of goods and just in time concepts of operations management. II. Literature Review Operations Management is the science and art of ensuring that goods and services are created and delivered successfully to customers. Applying the principles of OM entails a solid understanding of people, processes, and technology, and how they are integrated within business systems to create value. The way in which goods and services, and the processes that create and support them, are designed and managed can make the difference between a delightful or unhappy customer experiences. Operations management is the only function by which managers can directly affect the value provided to all stakeholders customers, employees, investors, and society. Effective operations management is essential to providing high-quality goods and services that customers demand, motivating, and developing the skills of the people who actually do the work, maintaining efficient operations to ensure an adequate return on investment, and protecting the environment. Operations management focuses on carefully managing the processes to produce and distribute products and services. Major, overall activities often include product creation, development, production and distribution. Related activities include managing purchases, inventory control, quality control, storage, logistics and evaluations of processes. A great deal of focus is on efficiency and effectiveness of processes. Therefore, operations management often includes substantial measurement and analysis of internal processes. Ultimately, the nature of how operations management is carried out in an organization depends very much on the nature of the products or services in the organization, for example, on retail, manufacturing or wholesale (1). Understanding Design of Goods and Services A good is a physical product that one can see, touch, or possibly consume. Examples of goods include oranges, flowers, televisions, soap, airplanes, fish, furniture, coal, coffee, lumber, and personal computers. A durable good is a product that typically lasts at least three years. Vehicles, dishwashers, and furniture are some examples of durable goods. A nondurable good is perishable and generally lasts for less than three years. Examples are toothpaste, software, shoes, and fruit. A service is any primary or complementary activity that does not directly produce a physical product. Services represent the nongoods part of a transaction between a buyer (customer) and seller (supplier).1 Common examples of services are hotels, legal and financial firms, airlines, health care organizations, museums, and consulting firms. Product (or service) management includes a wide range of management activities, ranging from the time that theres a new idea for a product to eventually providing ongoing support to customers who have purchased the new product. Every organization conducts product development, whether its done intentionally or unintentionally (2). Goods and services have many similarities. They are driven by customers and provide value and satisfaction to customers. They can be standardized for mass market or customized to individual needs. Just in Time Just-in-time (JIT) is a management philosophy that originated in the 1970s. Taiichi Ohno is credited with developing JIT and perfected it for Toyotas manufacturing plants in Japan. The main goal of JIT is to eliminate anything that does not add value from the customers perspective. Non-value-added activities are referred to as waste in JIT (4). Examples of waste include: overproduction beyond what is needed to satisfy immediate demand waiting time (work-in-process, customer waiting) unnecessary transportation (material handling, customer travel through a facility, etc.) processing waste (yield rates, start-up costs) inventory storage waste (space, deterioration, obsolescence, etc.) unnecessary motion and activity (waste in work techniques, etc.) waste from product and service defects (rework, scrap, warranty, etc.) Just-in-time (JIT) refers to a collection of practices that is designed to eliminate waste. These organizational practices encompass the entire logistics flow of materials from purchasing through production and distribution. The elements of JIT may include shared product design with suppliers and customers, movement toward single sourcing, proximate suppliers and customers, reduced set-up times, preventive maintenance, reliance on analytic tools to identify sources of defects and plant optimization layout (re)configurations, among others. The benefits are pervasive and can include lower total system costs and improved product quality when managed at optimum levels. A fair amount of evidence is available to support the claim of improved performance derived from the adoption of JIT or some of its components. Companies have reduced in-process inventory more than 50% and lead times by more than 80%. An inventory system managed to the extreme with JIT principles correlates inversely with the level of labor efficiency. Outsourcing is an essential tool for every business executive. JIT Inventory Modeling brings a unique perspective that can help clients make and implement the best decisions even in these unprecedented times (5). The use of JIT in services A review of the major academic research journals found most articles focused on JIT in manufacturing firms. Non-manufacturing environments have been given little emphasis in the research literature. However, a review of recent applied journals revealed articles describing JIT precepts migrating to non-manufacturing environments. These non-manufacturing environments include typical service businesses such as insurance firms, retailers and mail-order firms. Continuous improvement of the process As part of JIT implementation, organizations must instill the habit of expecting continuous small improvements in the process. The operators must never be satisfied with the current environment, but always be moving closer to the ideal situation. Service operations are ripe for significant productivity gains that can be achieved through process improvements. However, recognizing processes that can be improved through the implementation of JIT techniques has been difficult. Holistic approach to elimination of waste The JIT philosophy must be adopted throughout all levels and in all functions of the organization. Chase (1991) provides an excellent argument for and examples of the need to consider the service aspects of the manufacturing firm as potential areas for competitive advantage. He argues further that service innovations typically cut across departmental boundaries and cross-functional support is required for a successful implementation. From a non-manufacturing perspective, inventory and purchasing are the most obvious areas for implementing JIT techniques because of the common vocabulary, of which many examples can be found. According to Schonberger and Gilbert (1983), the just-in-time concept as applied to purchasing translates into frequent releases and deliveries. They developed a list of characteristics describing a JIT purchasing environment. As can be seen from the items listed below, these characteristics could be descriptive of almost any purchasing operation, be it in a manufa cturing or service environment: (1) Suppliers: few suppliers; nearby suppliers; repeat business with same suppliers; active use of analysis to enable desirable suppliers to become/stay price-competitive; clusters of remote suppliers, competitive bidding mostly limited to new part numbers; buyer plant resists vertical integration and subsequent wipeout of supplier business; suppliers are encouraged to extend JIT buying to their suppliers; (2) Quantities: steady output rate (a desirable prerequisite); frequent delivery in small quantities; long-term contract agreements; minimal release paperwork; delivery quantities variable from release to release, but fixed for whole contract term; little or no permissible overage or underage of receipts; suppliers encouraged to package in exact quantities; suppliers encouraged to reduce their production lot sizes (or store unreleased material); (3) Quality: minimal product specifications imposed on supplier; help suppliers to meet quality requirements; close relationships between buyers and suppliers quality assurance people; suppliers encouraged to use process control charts instead of lot sampling inspection; Inman and Mehra (1991) examined the potential for JIT in service industries through three purchasing-oriented case studies. These cases highlight the application of JIT to three areas identified as: the purchase of sub-components/ services; maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) goods; and quasi-MRO goods. They concluded that the utilization of JIT in a service industry is more than justifiable. They also offered suggestions for implementing JIT in service industries that strongly resembled those offered to manufacturing firms contemplating adoption of JIT. Flexibility in the use of resources Firms should have the ability to change processes rapidly to meet customer demands without wasting resources. Because the output from service processes is often highly customized, flexibility is a key element for many successful service organizations. Improving the timing and quantity of resource allocations for performing a process to avoid employing human and material resources when they are not needed is another facet of JIT. Decreasing the cost of maintaining patient accounts was the purpose of applying JIT techniques in a hospital as reported by Groenevelt (1990). While this implementation also could have fallen under the improving work flow emphasis, many of the JIT techniques discussed in this article reflect employee centred techniques increasing the flexibility of the workforce. Workers were involved in decisions; training and education programmes were established to create a pool of multi-skilled workers; standardized procedures were established; performance standards were created and monitored; and a special emphasis was placed on fostering co-operation and commitment to the JIT philosophy. Another mathematical model is offered by Ramasesh (1990) for the implementation of JIT techniques in purchasing systems that have not yet advanced to the ultimate level of JIT purchasing (lot size of one). He treated the fixed costs associated with the adoption of JIT as investment, and justified it based on the savings generated using any of the techniques of investment analysis. He modified the traditional economic order quantity model to include explicitly the costs of small-lot shipments. He also provided guidelines and formulae for determining the order quantity and the optimal number of shipments. Respect for people Because customers are directly involved in the service delivery process, service employees play a crucial role in affecting the customers perception of the quality and value of the service. Employees must respect customer requirements and provide service in a timely and efficient manner. Those same employees deserve the respect of the companys management. This means helping employees work smarter, not harder, through training and supervisory assistance, and involving all employees in problem solving and process improvements. Many of the articles discussed in other categories mentioned the need to implement various techniques for helping employees work smarter, not harder (Billesbach and Schneiderjans, 1989; Carlson, 1989; Groenevelt, 1990; Savage-Moore, 1988; to name a few). Most of these articles focused primarily on operational changes. However, they also recognized the vital role employees have in service industries and emphasized methods for improving their performance. Service firms working for JIT manufacturing firms must be aware of the impact of the customers JIT emphasis on their own companies. Bagchi et al. (1987) investigated the importance of various service factors considered by both JIT and non-JIT firms when selecting a transportation carrier. They concluded that executives in JIT firms regard customer service-related factors as more important than others. JIT firms place significantly more emphasis on service-related determinants, such as frequency of service, delivery predictability, transit time, service schedule changes and service flexibility. Carriers and other service providers must design effective service offerings which include the customer service requirements of their JIT customers. III. Company Analysis Company Profile Tim Hortons has been founded in 1964 as a coffee and donut shop and opened its first outlet in Hamilton, Canada. As of today, they have more than 2600 stores in Canada. There is one outlet for every 8,707 people in Ontario, compared with one outlet for every 18,906 people in the western provinces of Canada. Also, Tim Hortons has more than 250 outlets in USA. Tim Hortons has generated revenue of US $1.2 billion for its corporate parent, Wendys International, in 2005. Tim Hortons is committed to offer always fresh, fast, convenient, and wide varieties of the products. One of the specialities of Tim Hortons is they want to make sure that their menu is being embellished by adding a new taste. Hot Smoothee is one of their new tastes, and it was launched in October 2005. Goods and Services Selection Tim Hortons Inc. is a quick service restaurant operating in North America and Canada. The Companys offerings includes premium coffee, flavored cappuccinos, specialty teas, home-style soups, fresh sandwiches, wraps, hot breakfast sandwiches and fresh baked goods. It directly owns and operates small number of company restaurants in Canada and the United States. The Company also has warehouse and distribution operations, which supplies paper and dry goods to the Canada-based restaurants, and supply frozen baked goods and some refrigerated products to the Ontario-based restaurants. In the United States, the Company supplies similar products to system restaurants through third-party distributors. The operations also include coffee roasting plants in Rochester, New York and Hamilton, Ontario, a joint-venture bakery, and a fondant and fills manufacturing facility. In July 2009, the Company began serving its signature coffee in New York City. Competitive Advantage Tim Hortons is a dominant player in Canada, and the chain has a 75 per cent market share in Canadian coffee-doughnut industry. Starting March 2006, Tim Hortons Inc. started trading publicly on the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges and made itself more valuable. The company is now one of the strongest franchises in Canada, with annual sales of $1.6 billion, 1700 outlets, and an aggressive expansion plan into the United States. One in three cups of coffee sold in Canada comes from Tim Hortons, and Canada-a country with more donut shops per capita than any other country-seems to be a country in love with coffee and donuts. Canadian soldiers even take tins of Tim Hortons coffee with them on overseas deployment, and one of the competitors, Country Style Donuts, recognizes the dominance and sets its sights on becoming number two in the market-they are not even considering challenging the companys dominant position. Even the purchase of the company by U.S.-based Wendys International doesnt seem to have slowed the company down or tainted its image as a Canadian icon. Customers are able to find Tim Hortons outlets more than competitor cafà ©-shops across country. This is the one of the advantages Tim Hortons has. They have more than 2600 stores in Canada. There is one outlet for every 8,707 people in Ontario. This advantage makes Tim Hortons more competitive, but just only in the caffeine product. Hot Smoothee has shown their banner all around Tim Horton store, but they couldnt catch consumers. Whereas Starbucks has about 600 outlets in Canada, Second Cup operates more than 370 outlets across country. Issues Encountered with the Design of Goods Obesity levels are reaching unprecedented levels and the rates of diabetes are skyrocketing. Canadians, and North Americans in general, are becoming increasingly health conscious. With almost a quarter of Canadians obese, obesity is- no pun intended-at epic proportions, and that could affect Tim Hortons in terms of lawsuits, regulation, and complaints from public interest groups. For example, a group of obese U.S. teenagers sued McDonalds, claiming its food had made them fat. While a judge threw the case out, any fast-food restaurant could be a target and the cost of defending the company could easily exceed several million dollars per case, and thats only if you win. The concern about fat and carbohydrates pretty much focuses on what a donut is-fat and carbohydrates. If the growing interest in eating health food wasnt worrying enough, an aggressive new U.S. competitor is entering your market-Krispy Kreme. Although Krispy Kreme has only about a third of the sales (all U.S.) of Tim Hortons, its growth rate has been phenomenal. It has doubled its sales and stores over the last five years, including an incredible 40 percent increase in sales in the last year alone. Even Hollywood has jumped on the Krispy Kreme bandwagon, with Nicole Kidman declaring them Gods gift to donut lovers, and the product has been seen on over 80 TV shows. It now has plans to aggressively enter the Canadian market and take Tim Hortons head on. In the meantime, Tim Hortonss U.S. expansion plans havent gone well, with the company losing millions of dollars. New Product Opportunity The latest taste of Tim Hortons is non-caffeinated hot beverage: Hot Smoothee. It was introduced in October 2005 with four flavors: butter caramel, raspberry, hazelnut, and orange. Tim Hortons Hot Smoothee is served either in cartoon or ceramic cup. Specially, ceramic cups made customers feel like at home. Hot Smoothee has no special design for their cups. In addition, they organized the label together with the description for the flavor which might lead to confusion. At Tim Hortons, customers dont expect the ambience and quality of service that Starbucks and Second Cup provide. Customers expectations are not high as much as when they go to Tim Hortons. They only expect to have hot drink, fast service and convenient place. This factor makes Tim Hortons and competitors target audience different. Product-by-Value Analysis In terms of place design/atmosphere, Tim Hortons is more about convenience and saving time. Starbucks is more than that drinking coffee; it has been about sitting in the cafe and enjoying the ambience. Meanwhile, Second Cup provides their customers cozy environment as Starbucks does. But also, starting from 2005, customers are able to bring their laptops or handheld devices and surf the Internet over coffee. This factor makes Second Cup more competitive comparing to Starbucks. At Tim Hortons, customers dont expect the ambience and quality of service that Starbucks and Second Cup provide. Customers expectations are not high as much as when they go to Tim Hortons. They only expect to have hot drink, fast service and convenient place. This factor makes Tim Hortons and competitors target audience different. A Starbucks experience is-each cup is made to a customers personal order. Especially that baby boomers are looking for quality, individual choice and personalized service. They have the money and they are willing to pay for it. They are looking for more than having coffee. Tim Hortons also serves to baby boomers for more than 40 years in Canada, but they are falling behind competitors like Starbucks when it comes to quality, unique choices and excellent service. IV. Executive Summary Tim Hortons, as a fast-food company giant is challenged by issues concerning operations managements concepts of design of goods and just in time. North America is beset with alarming rate of obesity, and Tim Hortons whose products involves doughnuts, which main ingredients are fat and sugar. Due to this, Tim Hortons is besieged by a challenge to come up with products that are keener to the health of its customer. Just-In-Time touches on all operations in a firm including design, accounting, finance, marketing, distribution among other. The application of the concept of Just-In-Time to a service and product company like Tim Horton will further enhance customer experience and allow the company to eliminate waste and make true their statement to always serve fresh, fast, convenient, and wide varieties of the products.