Education Essay Example for Free

Education Essay Someone once told me that â€Å"Education is the building blocks of one’s character†. As much as it sounds too much of a cliche’ I couldn’t help but agree with this well known quotation. Although it may be true, that one’s education cannot define a man, it also holds true that different forms of education is readily available and it makes or breaks a man into who he is in his current disposition and into who he may want to be in the future. Some people claim that education is a matter of circumstance and privilege, that in this modern day and age, only those with the proper resources can have the proper education that one may need in order to be successful. If you ask me, this is only true in the terms of getting a degree to get all the right opportunities. But in reality, real education that will lead you towards the ends of your goals in life is the education you gain in life experiences. Let’s take Bill Gates and Albert Einstein who both didn’t finish college for example, they only succeeded in their personal aspirations by learning in the arena of their life and living itself. It may be important to note that in life, one must need a model to see how life is lived and how we learn from everything we see and experience in our day to day living. It may not always be formal education that we may attribute our learnings all the time, but it is imperative that any form of education should take place in order for us to grow in all different aspects of our lives. May it be in our professional lives, personal lives or for social reasons, a learning curb can be gained by us through the years because we were educated not only on how to live life, but most importantly how to be continuously educated till there is nothing more to learn in this life which may bring us to the breaking point of death or suicide. But in both scenarios, we still know that it is an imperative that a learning experience should be observed for us to prosper in a game called life.

A Successful Global Strategy

A Successful Global Strategy Executive Summary: This Report outlines how Walt Disney did successfully in global strategy. We found that the root issues include the need to expand into new markets and/or industries. We used a Porters Five Forces analysis to develop the alternatives. The alternatives that we proposed were to expand globally and enter the China makret. We analysed how the alternatives fit with Disneys corporate culture if the alternative would provide a competitive advantage. Upon the completion of our analysis, we recommend that Disney should expand globally in order to capitalise on unrealised markets in order to alleviate its root issues. 1. Introduction The Walt Disney Company, also known simply asDisney, is the largest media and entertainment conglomerate in the world. (http://money.cnn.com) The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international family entertainment and media enterprise with four business segments: Media Networks, which includes the companys television and Internet operations; Parks and Resorts that featuring the companys theme parks,cruise line, and other travel-related assets; Studio Entertainment, which includes the companys film, recording label, and theatrical divisions; and Consumer Products, which produces toys, clothing, and other merchandising based upon Disney-owned properties. (http://corporate.disney.go.com) A strategic analysis of The Walt Disney Company will be conducted to explore the globalisation aspects of strategy within the organisation. Relevant theoretical frameworks and empirical information will be used to assess the viability of Disneys current global strategy and recommendations will be made if any appropriate changes should be considered. The Five Forces Model will be used in the report to analyse the competitive advantage of Disney. The Walt Disney Companys objective is to be one of the worlds leading producers and providers of entertainment and information, using its portfolio of brands to differentiate its content, services and consumer products. The Companys primary financial goals are to maximize earnings and cash flow, and to allocate capital profitably toward growth initiatives that will drive long-term shareholder value. (http://corporate.disney.go.com) It is influenced Disneys strategy towards making the company works globally. The following findings will analyse how Disney using taken a global approach in order to expand the business and will highlight areas of improvement and apply them into theoretical frameworks. And the issue will mainly focus on the plan of building a new Disneyland in Shanghai China 2. Findings 2.1 Current Strategy The current strategy of Disney is mainly depends or influenced by their mission statement that mentioned above: Be one of the worlds leading producers and providers The success of Disney is obvious, but how and why it was able to achievethat success is not as plain. The biggest strength of Disney as acompany, is really the firms `share of mind and it is also thecompanys strongest competitive advantage, or its economic moat. Toillustrate this, each one of us, after hearing the name `Disney willautomatically have something in mind an animated film, perhaps, or acharacter, or a theme park. No matter what that is, the association ismost likely a very positive one: One of entertainment, imagination, andperhaps a family setting. In contrast, the mention of Columbia Picturesor Universal Studios will not evoke the same type of response. However, their main global strategy is really in public eyes: building another theme park in Shanghai China. The Chinese government has approved plans for the Walt Disney Company to build a theme park in Shanghai, its first in mainland China. (http://news.bbc.co.uk) According to the Disney Annual Report (2009), they will remain focus on advancing their strategies objective of building the Companys position as a leader in the creation of high quality branded content and making Disney an even more prominent and successful provider of entertainment globally. 2.2 International composition and expansion According to Bob De Wit and Ron Meyer (2004), international composition is an international firm operates in two or more countries. When a firm starts up value adding activities in yet another country, it is called internationalisation. Disney is actually doing this to meet their goals. In 2005, Disney has opened the fifth theme park and it is located in Hong Kong China. It can see that there is a trend of Disney wants to do business in China. Disney has won approval to build a theme park in Shanghai after nearly 20 years of courting the Chinese government. l International Scope As everyone knows China is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, is a huge potential market for any foreign brand aiming to expand abroad. Shanghai, arguably the most international and diverse city in China. It will allow Disneyland to utilise the largest tourism resources in Eastern China for example sightseeing spots, tourism infrastructure. On the other hand, the world recession and other difficulties in the industry, Disneyland hasnt been doing well in recent years. Seeking a more profitable market is essential, and it is estimated that Shanghai Disneyland will attract 30 million visitors every year. (http://business.globaltimes.cn) l International distribution The international composition of firm also depends on how it has distributed its value-adding activities across the countries selected. In some firms, all national subsidiaries carry out similar activates and are of comparable size. For example RD, and production concentrated only in few countries. (Porter, 1986) At the moment, Disney and build 5 theme park in the world and they distributed in different part of the world. The cultural differences will affect how Disney works for the business. Mention about how to establish the foreign subsidiary, firm can work independently or joint venture with local player or foreign partner. This could refer to the theme park as a joint venture company the cost of inputs, the investment is not just for theme park, the park also includes a variety of capital costs, land costs, environmental costs, part of the regional transport infrastructure costs, relocation costs. And the joint venture partner for Shanghai Disney is the State-owned enterprises L ujiazui Group. (http://www.chinafinancialdaily.com) 2.3 Porters five forces framework of Disney Disney has a favourable marco-environment. Its microenvironment will be examined using Porters five forces model (Porter, 1980). This model seeks to measure the competitiveness of a company by reference to five forces: competitive rivalry; buyers; suppliers; potential entrants and substitutes. In the case of Disney, most of the major things bought such as the rides and buildings are one-off purchase. The suppliers that affect daily operation are food and beverage, fireworks etc. All these are replaceable and will not directly affected Disney competitive advantage. Secondly, the bargaining power of buyer is determined by the concentration of buyers and how much customers can impose pressure on volumes and margins. Lets take Hong Kong Disneyland as an example; their customers have relatively low bargaining power because the theme park is differentiated in its industry. So the threats from buyers are low. There is a direct competitor for Hong Kong Disneyland, Ocean Park. Most teenagers will prefer Ocean Park as the entry fee for Disneyland is almost US$24 more than Ocean Park. That is why Hong Kong Disneyland has steadily lost money since opening in 2005 (http://www.businessweek.com) However, there is a dilemma happen to Disney: there will be a greatest threat or opportunities for Disneyland overall as mention above, the proposals for the second Disneyland in China. This new Disneyland will be eight times bigger than the one in Hong Kong (Subler, 2008). So Disney faces a same brand competitor within Asia and competing in the same market. And the substitutes would affected by other leisure and retail industries. It is because in China, shop normally close at 10pm rather than 5/6pm in western countries. Customers might have other alternatives instead of theme park. Overall, the microenvironment analysed by Porters five forces has revealed that Disney has a competitive environment. 2.4 Localisation or Globalisation? When the Hong Kong Disneyland was under construction, it was reported that the design plan of this park had been reviewed by Feng Shui experts to bring prosperity and good luck. Now, Disney will set up its second theme park in China. Will Shanghai Disneyland contain more Chinese features? Should Disney stick to internationalised and standardised route or positively adopt the localisation strategy? According to the report from The Times (http://business.timesonline.co.uk), Disney said that Shanghai Disneyland will be a fantastic world with Chinese characteristics, including the Chinese food and the suggestions from Feng Shui experts in the design of the park.To address this possibility, the spokesman of Disney made this official statement: Shanghai will feature a Magic-Kingdom style, in keeping with its cousins in Asia, the U.S. and France. It will also have Chinese characteristics as a part of the localization process that is a part of the deal. 3. Conclusion After analysing the Walt Disney case, the current strategy for Disney is being one of the leading producers and providers of entertainment and information, using its portfolio of brands to differentiate its content, services and consumer products. And other strategy is made looking forward to build the sixth theme park in Shanghai China. They will need to consider how they work successfully in order to avoid making the same mistake of Hong Kong Disneyland. Though it is not a big mistake, the issue they need to concern would be how they operate the new Disneyland. Would they stick the Chinese feature in the theme park? Is localisation or globalisation better suit for the new Disneyland? Also, the Porters five force Model has shown that Disney has a competitive advantage to the microenvironment. No matter how they operate, the Walt Disney still has a high reputation in everyone heart. 4. Recommendation In order to make a better improvement for Disney in doing business globally, there are several points I would like to focus on and help Disney works efficiently. The managers of Disney are believed to have made up their minds between globalisation and localisation. But like the saying Disneylands construction will not be stopped if there is space for imagination, numerous guesses will haunt Shanghai Disneyland before it is finished.I would say localisation is not a bad thing. Disney should integrate the Chinese features into Shanghai Disneyland. Even the theme park can be called Disney Oriental Park. However, on the other hand for using the idea of globalisation, the special cultural characteristics would makes Disney become what it is. And too many local elements may exert negative influence upon its attraction power.Therefore, Both localisation and globalisation should focus on transferring the cultural elements into something needed by the industry chain. Also, for even more expansion, as everyone knows, the size of Hong Kong Disneyland and Paris Disneyland is relatively small comparing to other Disneyland. They still have room for further expansion. Such as Hong Kong, it is a right decision to expand the theme park further for the preparing of new opening of Shanghai Disneyland. Once they expand, they would not lose the competitive ability against the rival or internal competitors. Therefore, in my opinion, Disney has successful expand globally in order to capitalise on unrealised markets in order to alleviate its root issues. But there are still unforeseeable potential for Disney. So in short term, a carefully formulated brand strategy will be the key for Disneylands China dream to come true. 5. References: The Walt Disney Company Fiscal Year 2009 Annual Financial Report Bob De Wit and Ron Meyer (2004) Strategy, Process, Contentm Context, An international perspective, 3rd Edition, South-Western Cengage Learning Porter, M.E. (1980)Competitive Strategy, Free Press, New York, 1980. Company Overview http://corporate.disney.go.com/corporate/overview.html (Accessed: 10th Feb 2010) Why Disney wants DreamWorks http://money.cnn.com/2009/02/09/news/companies/disney_dreamworks.fortune/?postversion=2009020914 (Accessed: 21st Feb 2010) Disneyland approved for Shanghai http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8341570.stm (Accessed: 19th Feb 2010) Shanghai Disneyland on the Way http://www.gotoread.com/mag/13136/sarticle_32571.html (Accessed: 17th Feb 2010) Hong Kong Disneylands Future Is in Danger http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/mar2009/gb20090317_923737.htm (Accessed: 22nd Feb 2010) Mickey Mouse prepared to be Shanghaied as China opens up http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/leisure/article3498733.ece (Accessed: 15th Feb 2010) Disney Shanghai to gamble? http://www.chinafinancialdaily.com/financial/news/2009/12/10/11836/interpretation-of-the-disney-shanghai-suction-gold-journey-tourists-spend-about-600-yuan-per-capita-1.html (Accessed: 15th Feb 2010) Subler J. (2008), Shanghai applies to build its own Disneland: mayor, Reutoers, Online News 6th March 2008 Available from: http://www.reuters.com (Accessed: 17th Feb 2010)

The Power of Superstition Essay -- Informative Essays superstitious

The Power of Superstition A superstition is the belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation. Superstition is also an irrational abject attitude of mind toward the supernatural, nature, or God or a notion maintained despite evidence to the contrary (Merriam-Webster). Superstitions are the most common relic of the past handed down from the ages. When & where did superstition come from? There is an abundance of superstitions to date. Basic superstitions can be broken down into three broad categories: Predictive, Causative and Conversion. Predictive superstitions are when people believe that a particular superstition will predict an oncoming event. Causative superstitions are based on someone actually doing something to make something bad happen. Conversion superstitions generally combine predictive and causative superstitions (Lechniak). There are many aspects of the wedding superstition. Weddings superstitions are some of the most commonly practiced. A few aspects of wedding superstition are...

not a real paper :: essays research papers

I'm just trying to join this site. Sorry I don't actually have a paper to donate. If I had the time to do it I would find a paper to give. But I don't. Maybe later. Printing overview When you create a document or enter data into a spreadsheet, you may want to see what your work looks like in print. To do this, you must install a printer. The printer might be attached directly to your computer, or it may be a shared network printer located in a common copy room. Once installed, the printer will be listed in the Printers folder as well as in the Print dialog box of the program you are using. A variety of settings and print options are available once the printer is installed on your computer. For example, you can share your printer with another user or set up a separator page so you can easily identify your document among other documents. You can also change options that specifically affect how a document is printed. For example, you can change the page layout from portrait to landscape or you can change the number of copies that are printed. For more overview information and a list of common tasks, see Related Topics. To print a document Open the document you want to print. On the File menu of the program you are using, click Print. Notes In the Print dialog box you can see the number of documents waiting to print on any printer installed on your computer by right-clicking the printer in Select Printer and then clicking Open. If you are logged on to a Windows 2000 domain running Active Directory, you can click Find Printer to search for a printer on the network with the capabilities you want, such as high-speed or color printing. For more information on searching for a printer, see Related Topics. To store a document as a file rather than sending it to the printer, click the Print to file check box in the Print dialog box. For easy access to your printer, you can create a shortcut to it on the desktop.

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are Not Evil Essay -- GCSE Coursework Macbeth

Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are Not Evil Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are good people with poor judgment. It is unfair for Malcolm to describe them as "this dead butcher and his fiend - like queen". In the beginning they are a respected couple sharing a loving relationship. Their downfall is not due to evil, but caused by their ambition for Macbeth, sparked by the witches' prophecy. Macbeth's indecision on whether or not to kill Duncan, and Lady Macbeth's begging of the spirits to take away her feminine qualities, demonstrate that ruthlessness does not come easily to them. Macbeth is a Scottish nobleman and important kinsman of King Duncan, whose devising and heroic leadership of a winning tactic in a battle show his talent, courage and loyalty to his country. He is well respected, and after his feat of braveness, Duncan believes him worthy to receive the title of Thane of Cawdor, which is a huge honour to Macbeth. The problem with this, though, is that it helps to spark his ambition, which, we find later, is his tragic flaw. Lady Macbeth is a loyal wife with ambitions for her husband. She believes that Macbeth deserves to be King, but thinks that he is too nice to do anything about it. She does not think that he could kill Duncan on his own. She is supportive of Macbeth, and is willing to do what she can to help him get what he wants. She is basically a caring and loving person, though, so she pleads with the Spirits to take away her tenderness and femininity and make her ruthless: " Come, you spirits that tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me, from the crown to the toe, top full of direst cruelty." (I.v.38-41). This evidence on Macbeth and Lady Macbeth proves that, at the beginning of the play, they are bo... ...omen Reading Shakespeare 1660-1900. Ann Thompson and Sasha Roberts, eds. Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press, 1997. Knights, L.C. "Macbeth." Shakespeare: The Tragedies. A Collectiion of Critical Essays. Alfred Harbage, ed. Englewwod Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1964. Mack, Maynard. Everybody's Shakespeare: Reflections Chiefly on the Tragedies. Lincoln, NB: University of Nebraska Press, 1993. Schlegel, August Wilhelm. Criticism on Shakespeare s Tragedies . A Course of Lectures on Dramatic Art and Literature. London: AMS Press, Inc., 1965. Shakespeare, William. Tragedy of Macbeth . Ed. Barbara Mowat and Paul Warstine. New York: Washington Press, 1992. Steevens, George. Shakespeare, The Critical Heritage. Vol. 6. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1981. Wills, Gary. Lady Macbeth and Evil. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.

New school Essay

Adjusting to a new school is difficult for anyone, and those difficulties are magnified when a person is faced with an alien or hostile culture. In reading these two essays, the difficulties of the two writers fall into several categories. These categories are physical, emotional, educational, economic, and political and the family stresses that result from the new educational process that the child is subjected to. While there may be many more, these stand out as significant in helping or hindering in the assimilation process. The physical changes that one may undergo are most acutely seen in Zitkala-Sa’s essay. In her writing, she clearly outlines how she was not permitted to wear her traditional clothes or shoes, and that she even went to the extent of hiding to avoid having her hair cut. In her culture, having short hair was the sign of a coward, and she did not was the ignominy that having short hair would have meant. Once she was back on the reservation, she even writes that she â€Å"threw away her shoes† and was back in her moccasins. She desired to shed all the conventions of western life as soon as she could. The emotional tolls are much higher. Ning Yu writes that in order to understand English, he came up with comparatives in Chinese. While they were not as flattering, it was his way of coping emotionally with being forced to hate a culture he had never seen. When his adulterations of the language were discovered, he lived with the stress of wondering if he would be sent to jail for saying unflattering things about Chairman Mao. The emotional toll also played on his father, who watched his son struggle with a difficult language, and then taught him how to be fully literate in that self-same language. In Zitkala-Sa’s story, we see that she was terribly unhappy with what she was being subjected to. From hiding under a bed to crying in her mother’s arms, she shows quite succinctly how the idea of being assimilated into white society was affecting her. Her mother, while very upset that her daughter was upset, tries to console her by telling her to read the â€Å"white man’s papers (202)†. She shows herself to be a bit more pragmatic. She understands that for her daughter to be successful, she must be subjected to the inhumanity of going to the white man’s schools. The educational tolls are also high. Ning Yu and Zitkala-Sa were both initially resistant to the changes that were thrust upon them. By the end of their stories, they are both at some level embracing the language and the culture that they were being taught. By the end of Ning Yu’s essay, he was earning a living shoveling dung and selling it, and was proud of the â€Å"drudgery† that he had performed when he was struggling to read Pride and Prejudice (181). In Zitkala-Sa’s essay, we find that she wanted to go to the same party as her cousin, even though that cousin was dressed in the clothes of the white man (202). There existed within these two individuals a need for acceptance within the new language system and society that was being thrust upon them, and the internal struggle that came with that wrought an enormous emotional toll. The economic stresses are also severe. This is most apparent in Ning-Yu’s essay, when he talks about the differences between â€Å"black† and â€Å"red† Chinese people. He was a â€Å"black† Chinese, and his professor was considered a loyal â€Å"red† Chinese. He lived in a poor slum area of his city, and his family had been split apart. His father, who had been a professor, was disgraced for consorting with the British, and was considered a pariah. Zitkala-Sa was not from a wealthy family, but she was still considered a pariah in her own right because she was not a white child, and was being thrust into a white school with a completely different socieo-economic strata that she was not accustomed to. The political stresses were also severe. There was a complete and total expectation that these two were the new breed for their society and would lead them to a new era of success. This is most clearly seen in Ning-Yu’s essay. It is very clear that the whole motive for Ning-Yu’s education in English is to assimilate him into a new culture, and as a political maneuver by the regime of Chairman Mao. Finally, the family stresses are immense. Ning-Yu’s father was taken away from him for over a year and a half. At some level, Ning-Yu’s father may have been proud of his son, but at the same time, he knew that his son was being trained to be alienated from him. Zitkala-Sa’s family struggled with the assimilation of their child into a foreign culture while they watched their own culture slip away. There is no easy answer to these problems. The time that is taken away from these children can never be given back. It takes years to see the damage, if any, that the forcing of language and culture has on a person of foreign birth. In both of these cases, there appears to be no consideration for the home lives or the individual nature of these children. Instead, they are treated like cattle and are forced into a cultural melange that they do not understand or want to understand. Viewed with the hindsight of history, we must see that children are people, and are also individuals, and should be treated as such. The ultimate goal in assimilating a language or culture should also be in maintaining a pride and a link to their rich cultural past.

Trade Secrets: How to Procure a Passport

People often take a great deal for granted while dismissing so much of what goes on around them. This is especially true when what people fail to see involves the plight of illegal immigrants and low-level workers. These unnoticed persons are the very individuals around whom the plot of director Stephen Frears’s Dirty Pretty Secrets revolves. They are the people like lead character Okwe (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who describes himself and his friends as â€Å"The people you do not see [.. . ] the ones who drive your cabs, clean your rooms, and suck your cocks† (Dirty Pretty Secrets). Generally, the transparency of their existence works against their success; occasionally, the anonymity of these unseen people provides the perfect cover for their entrance into mainstream society—provided that they can tolerate what must be done along the way.The storyline of Dirty Pretty Secrets which is set in London, England, revolves primarily around three people: Okwe (Chiwetel Ejiofo r), a cabbie by day and a desk clerk at the Baltic Hotel by night; Senay (Audrey Tautou), a friend of Okwe’s, who is a maid at the Baltic Hotel; and Sneaky (Sergi Là ³pez), the head clerk at the Baltic who uses the motel as a distribution center for anything that will net him money—most notably, human organs.The complex relationships that surround these three characters are further developed by two supporting actors: Sophie Okonedo, who plays Juliette, the Baltic’s resident hooker; and Benedict Wong, who plays Guo Yi, a morgue employee and friend of Okwe’s. As the film progresses, the audience learns that Okwe is an illegal immigrant who was forced to flee his home in Lagos, Nigeria after being falsely accused of his wife’s murder. Okwe was working as a pathologist when a Nigerian Government official was shot, and when Okwe refused to destroy evidence of the crime, his home was firebombed—with his wife inside.The Nigerian police accused Okw e of the crime, so he fled. Senay is an immigrant from Turkey, and while she is not an illegal, she is forced to violate the immigration policies of London to survive. Specifically, she is not allowed to work during the six-month period during which her case is being reviewed; therefore, to survive, she works illegally. Sneaky is living and working in London legally, so he is in a position to take advantage of both Okwe and Senay, and the degree to which he is willing to exploit their secrets leads to the story’s pivotal scene.The most prevalent themes in Dirty Pretty Things are human integrity coupled with how the need to remain secretive can result in personal compromise and leave one open to mistreatment, but the sub-theme is how the people who go unnoticed often band together to survive and support one another against their foes. Okwe is a sympathetic character, and as the plot progresses, the audience begins to see that he must make escalating choices that challenge his sense of right and wrong. Because he is a fugitive from justice, he is eventually coerced by Sneaky to participate in his organ-trading scheme.Senay is also very likable, especially after the audience sees that the secrecy and prudishness she initially displays are due to her immigrant status and her being Muslim. Once the Immigration Enforcement Directors begin to hunt her down, she is forced to seek alternate employment and is immediately made a sex toy by her sweat-shop boss. Senay becomes the final piece in Sneaky’s ploy to force Okwe to become the Baltic’s organ doctor when she, in an act of desperation, agrees to give up a kidney in exchange for a passport: Okwe agrees to perform the surgery to ensure that Senay is not butchered.Like Okwe, Senay is forced to compromise more and more of herself in order to survive. The juxtaposing of Okwe with Guo and Senay with Juliette adds even greater depth to this movie: where most of the people Okwe and Senay associate with take advantage of their situations and exploit them, Guo and Juliette—a morgue worker and a hooker—help the main characters survive and persevere: it is a banding together of those whom society fails to acknowledge. Dirty Pretty Things is an excellent film on a variety of levels and should appeal to a wide-range of viewers.The plot is timely and gritty, the acting is superb, and the turning of the tables at the end of the movie—when Okwe and Senay exploit Sneaky’s greed and end up taking his kidney—make one want to stand up and cheer for the justice that is served and the underdogs who dish it out. Anyone who has felt inferior and has been forced to make choices dictated by that feeling of inferiority will likely enjoy this movie, and certainly, those open to reevaluating their prejudice against illegal immigrants will be forced to think again about their postion.