The U.S. Constitution and the Articles of Confederation Assignment

The U.S. Constitution and the Articles of Confederation - Assignment Example It also finds that the political philosophy depicted in these is that pertaining to the state rights. Introduction United States has operated under a set of two rules. One of these is the Articles of Confederation, which was ratified in 1781, in Maryland. The second one is the US constitution, which was ratified in 1788, in New Hampshire, and which has served to replace the Articles of the Confederation (Kimberly, 2009). There are certain similarities between the US constitution and the Article of the Confederation. These similarities are particularly depicted in the relationship between the states and the federal government and have also been pivotal in informing the federal government responsiveness. This paper responds to various questions regarding US constitution and the Articles of the Confederation. Response to Question 1 There are certain similarities between the US constitution and the Article of the Confederation. Section 1 of the article IV of the constitution accords cred it, as well as full faith to every state as pertains to records, judiciary and public acts. On the other hand, this can also be found in the Article of the Confederation and it is the pillar of section IV, in a move that is deliberately aimed at securing and perpetuating mutual friendship. Secondly, in section 2 of article IV of the constitution, it is stated that each citizen shall be accorded the privileges, as well as enjoy immunities from other states. In the case where a person flees justice from one state, the state reserves the right to demand for the arrest and submission to the state in which the person fled. This is also reflected in Article IV of the Article of the Confederation, in stipulating that except fugitives, vagabonds, and paupers, all other citizens are accorded privileges such as those of the natives in other states. Thirdly, Article IV of the confederate of states bars a state from seeking embassy, receiving embassy or according establishing treaties, among ot her ways, with other nations without the consent of United States congress. On the other hand, this is contained evident in section 3 of article IV of the constitution that no state shall engage territorial affairs without the consent of the congress. Thus, the similarities between the Articles of the Confederate and the constitution are felt in the area regarding the relationship between the states and the Federal government. This similarity has been accounted based on the fact that the Articles of the Confederate were very crucial in informing the making of the constitution, as far as the area of the state relations is concerned (Hall & Feldmeier, 2013). Response to Question 2 The provisions of the constitution, as had earlier served by the Articles of the Confederate of states has served in the making the federal government less responsive to the people’s needs. One area that can be seen is power distribution and limitation. As far as checks and balances are concerned, it may not be disputed that a desirable liberal system is that which contains various devices for limiting power via checks and balances. Such a system functions based on constitution and law, as well as based on interactions between the institutions and individuals. This is because the allocation of excessive powers to one arm would have been accompanied by the

Evaluating Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Evaluating Ethics - Essay Example However, there is no written code of ethics of the company.1 However, company works on the basis of stewardship in which it defines its relationship with the external world and its member community especially. This stewardship includes some priority areas set by the company which outlines its responsibilities towards the community and external world. These priorities include the active conservation of nature, responsible use of the outdoor activities, adapting responsible business practices to enhance and improve the external world, â€Å"foster opportunities to increase participation in human-powered outdoor recreation, with a focus on youth2†. It is because of this reason that REI has been developing eco-sensitive products. â€Å"Everyone at REI is charged with nurturing the spirit of openness, honesty and integrity that is so much a part of the fabric of the REI culture. Doing the right thing is a way of life here. REI has taken a firm stance on business ethics and social compliance. We hold ourselves and our vendors, both domestic and international, to high standards and take seriously our commitment to act as a concerned corporate citizen. Our strict sourcing code ensures that goods carrying the REI label are manufactured with due regard for workers and the environment.† (REI) The above quote strictly outlines various ethics of the company. It not mentions about REI’s values but also clearly mentions about the commitment of its employees. In terms of training, REI strive to deliver it on two counts. One to its employees and second to its customers so that its policy of the conservation of nature can be achieved through development of eco-friendly products. Further, in terms of monitoring, REI works as a Co-op where its members are regular visitors besides since employees of the organization itself have the desire and passion about the outdoor activities therefore monitoring at the company take place on multiple counts. First

Government as a Social Tool or Business Partner Essay

Government as a Social Tool or Business Partner - Essay Example It should be noted that when the governments prioritizes corporate subsidies and allocate less fund for welfare payments, it just emphasizes that corporations are much needy than the public. This is even more strongly felt now that the country is operating on a tight budget. Theory then states that the private sector should be solely responsible for the provision of social programs. This paper opts to offer an insight to this issue by looking at the economic argument for and against corporate welfare. It is irrefutable that corporate welfare is one of the most debated social and economic issues. The term "corporate welfare" is coined by Ralph Nader in 1956 in order to describe the "benefits conferred on corporations as compared to any corporate payment, or goods or services provided, to the government." With this definition, Nader looks beyond the benefits conferred and costs incurred by a particular program by looking at the government's costs and benefits. For example, if a program involves the government giving more to private companies than it gets back, then it is considered as corporate welfare. ... Corporate welfare can take the form of direct grants to business, programs that provide research and other services for industries, and programs that provide subsidized loans or insurance to business. A good example is the Ohio Loan Law in 1837 which "required the State to give tax revenues to private canal, turnpike, and railroad corporations while permitting them also to charge tolls" (Nader 1999). Others include the Market Access Program for the agricultural department, the Advanced Technology Program, and Technology Reinvestment Program (Stansel n.d.). These moves emphasize these companies importance to the local government. The common argument for corporate welfare is more economic than social. It should be noted that tax perks like tax holidays and tax breaks are commonly used by governments in order to encourage the inflow of foreign direct investment. This is more apparent in developing countries where the economy is largely dependent on foreign players. The main argument for this is that "economy is dependent on business stability and that corporate development is directly linked to job growth" (Perryman 1996). When tax breaks are offered, companies can operate more efficiently by cutting down on operational costs. Tax breaks are also potent ways to attract more companies thereby increasing the locality's production and income. The presence of corporate subsidies also ensures the stability of the business sector. When the government provides corporate welfare, it in fact, works in ensuring that companies continue to operate efficiently. It should be noted that corporate welfare includes provision o f funds, projects, and programs which aids business organizations in research and development, marketing, and in their production efforts.

Evaluating Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Evaluating Ethics - Essay Example However, there is no written code of ethics of the company.1 However, company works on the basis of stewardship in which it defines its relationship with the external world and its member community especially. This stewardship includes some priority areas set by the company which outlines its responsibilities towards the community and external world. These priorities include the active conservation of nature, responsible use of the outdoor activities, adapting responsible business practices to enhance and improve the external world, â€Å"foster opportunities to increase participation in human-powered outdoor recreation, with a focus on youth2†. It is because of this reason that REI has been developing eco-sensitive products. â€Å"Everyone at REI is charged with nurturing the spirit of openness, honesty and integrity that is so much a part of the fabric of the REI culture. Doing the right thing is a way of life here. REI has taken a firm stance on business ethics and social compliance. We hold ourselves and our vendors, both domestic and international, to high standards and take seriously our commitment to act as a concerned corporate citizen. Our strict sourcing code ensures that goods carrying the REI label are manufactured with due regard for workers and the environment.† (REI) The above quote strictly outlines various ethics of the company. It not mentions about REI’s values but also clearly mentions about the commitment of its employees. In terms of training, REI strive to deliver it on two counts. One to its employees and second to its customers so that its policy of the conservation of nature can be achieved through development of eco-friendly products. Further, in terms of monitoring, REI works as a Co-op where its members are regular visitors besides since employees of the organization itself have the desire and passion about the outdoor activities therefore monitoring at the company take place on multiple counts. First

Do Companies Have a Responsibility Not to Destroy the Environment or Should Profits Be Allowed at Any Environmental Cost Essay Example for Free

Do Companies Have a Responsibility Not to Destroy the Environment or Should Profits Be Allowed at Any Environmental Cost Essay We can see a change in every organizational activities, as in marketing, for example Mc Donald change their previous red logo, in green one, A new one, for a new eco-system protecting plan. In this research we are going to see many element, which will prove that companies have a responsibility to take care about the environment. In this research, a melting pot of arguments will be show, to understand if businesses and factories have to pollute instead of adapting their way to work in function of environment and sustainable development. Real fact will help to understand the point of view. Firm’s activities have big environmental impact, its take a major part of naturals resources and reject in the environment. Oil and chemicals industries are not the only companies, which polluted. Every single firm consumes raw material as water, energy and others. It’s also rejected some substances more or less harmful in the environment. More over the intensive consumption of raw material have big impact on the extinction many species, or animal can become endangered. Deforestation in some country appears because companies want to produce more and more, always more. If firms continue to take resources as now, there will be an exhaustion of raw material as oil and gas. Climate change is partly caused by every reject by firms, in terms of polluting gas, chemical stuff and pollution in the see. As â€Å"good planet† said in their article, a cellulose factory has been closed by the government because they notice that to much pollution as been providing by this factory. In fact, around this factory the Baikal lac was very pollute. The vice Prime Minister Arkadi Dvokovitch announces that the factory will be close as soon as possible: â€Å"We decided to close the plant cellulose Baikalsk†. As the government said, a care project is taking part in this area of Russia. The fact that firms do not respect the environment can be dangerous in different way. In this case, 1700 peoples became unemployed, because it shutting. Population becomes less and less happy because of the different ways of pollution of the country. That is why everyone losing something: government loses reputation, to let factories pollute in the country. Firms have to be shutdown because its disrespect the environment. The reputation is very important for a company; it is one of the most important things to maximize profit. People’s way to speak about a company makes it stronger, if its have a good reputation. More often companies can have a bad rap; When it is important to see what are peoples problems and what are the environmental problems, company are less fascinate. Furthermore, it is usually the bigger business, which pollute the most. It is possible to make profit, and make a maximizing profit not in spit of polluting. But head directors prefer giving money to government as fines, instead of polluting less and earn less money. Refers to the case of Pfizer industry, which is one of the biggest pharmaceutical firms from France. As Bschool wrote in an article, Pfizer has the most important record of polluting action in all categories: â€Å"Pfizer has a bad record on numerous fronts†. This big company has been fined many times by authorities, for environmental violations, in terms of air contamination, because rejected lots of hazardous chemicals into the atmosphere. After many recommendations by government, Pfizer industry did not take care about it, and preferred continued to earned money and maximizing profit. This unconscious act proves that head manager who where at the top of the firm did not think about environmental and social problem, and did not feel concerned by security. According again to Bschool, In 2009, the company became more open minded and aware of what she did, and try to reconsolidated the public opinion with an offer to charity: â€Å"In 2009, Pfizer gave more than $60 million to charity, amounting to an astounding 24,2% of its total net profits for the year. † Thanks to regulation and authority to act in this different case, because we all know that is not the only to act in this way with people and environment. Nowadays, people become more and more involved about the protection of the environment. People, company and government try to find together some alternative to stay on the road in term of ecology. At the begging of the XIX century, the industrial revolution and the economy are based on the absolute search of gain. It is difficult to get back and primary think to the development instead of maximizing profit. Therefore company and government had to make some agreement for sustainable development. For example, according to Jonathan Maxwell, SDCL’s CEO: â€Å"Reducing demand for energy is potentially the most cost- effective and rational way of reducing emissions and improving the security of energy supply. The UK regulator, Ofgem, recently predicted in its first annual Electricity Capacity Assessment that the amount of spare capacity in the system could fall from 14% to 4% in the next 3 years, raising the specter of outages and price rises. This ground-breaking agreement between SDCL, Kingspan and Johnson Controls represents a major step forward towards a scalable and replicable solution, funded through energy savings achieved†. This kind of action is present nationally and internationally. Government want to reduce a lot Co2e emissions in the world; that is why big action concentrate many countries all around the world. States have to sign a convention, and adopt comportment after that. The majority of restriction are involved by the OMC (World Trade Organization). Refers to the professor Michael Porter, teacher in Harvard Business School, the â€Å"Porter hypothesis† (citation). Supporting his thesis from 1991, the main idea of environmental regulation is to institute programs firms reducing some externalities. Mr. Porter said also if companies are doing it by themselves it is considerably normal that business’s profits, by definition necessarily decrease. So the profit of factory can decrease if companies are adopting new rules for sustainable development. In different case, it is better making profit than take care about the environment and sustainable development. The first of a company is to make profit, and more precisely a maximization of profit. A lot of Head business managers prefer pollute and make profit, rather than adopts rules for ecology, and change the global way of the firm. A survey on the green economy post show that around 34% of executives polled preferred to stay on a good move with their company and prefer see the whole economy of the business on prosperity: â€Å"According to this Survey, 34% of executives polled said that their firm’s immediate financial goals were of more importance than practicing sustainability  Ã‚ ». There are lots of problems in changing methods to produce for a company, the management of the polluting rubbish, change machine that will be less dangerous for the environment. So that is why manager do not care about nature and public opinion. Even if there are many inconvenient, it is possible to see company which was able to accept this change in term of environment protection. As we see in the introduction, Mc Donald changes many things in the company. For example the logo, to be in coherence with sustainable development, the logo was red and now its green, the environment color. After that, it is not only a picture of a good company, which wants to have a good behavior with environment; there are some benefits that Mc Donald can catch benefits. Referring to Bob Langert, who is VP, Corporate social responsibility at Mc Donald’s corporation: Energy is really our No. issue, he said. When you look at the dollars we spend, and the impact we have on the environment, and the progress we can make to do better, and use our size and influence to make a difference, its energy. Bob Langert tell us this information in an interview, in a US TV channel called alternative channel To conclude, we saw different aspect from makin g profit instead of taking care about the environment. Along this research it is prove that it is better to contribute to sustainable development and be aware of consequences of pollution. Even if it is hard to renounce to earn lots of money and make a maximize profit for business. Help nature and it will reward you. Bibliography * McDonald’s Golden Rules for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability | Sustainable Development and Humanitarian Causes: The Alternative Channel Blog. McDonald’s Golden Rules for Energy Efficiency and Sustainability | Sustainable Development and Humanitarian Causes: The Alternative Channel Blog. Web. * The 10 Most Socially Irresponsible Big Brands | BSchool. com Business Schools Directory. BSchoolcom Business Schools Directory The 10 Most Socially Irresponsible Big Brands Comments. Web. * Une Usine De Cellulose Qui Pollue Le Lac Baikal Va Fermer. Une Usine De Cellulose Qui Pollue Le Lac Baikal Va Fermer. Web. * Corporations and the Environment. Global Issues. N. p. , n. d. Web. * Sustainable Development Capital LLP. Sustainable Development Capital LLP. Print 2012 * Robert A. G. Monks and Nell Minow, Power and Accountability, 1991 an on-line book, originally written 1991 * Richard Robbins, Global Problems and the Culture of Capitalism (Allyn and Bacon, 1999), pp. 233-236 * Resources for the Future RFF. org. Resources for the Future RFF. org. N. p. , n. d. Web

Marketing and Strategic Analysis of Virgin Active

Marketing and Strategic Analysis of Virgin Active 1. Introduction The UK has had an overwhelming increase in the leisure industry market involving gymnasiums. This report will include a strategic review of Virgin Active and also evaluate the challenges and opportunities faced by Virgin Active. The topics, included in this report will be: description of the organisation, comprehensive strategic analysis (detailed analysis of internal scan, environmental scan and core competencies), a SWOT analysis of Virgin Active and challenges faced by the organisation. Furthermore, alternative strategic options and managing change will also be discussed. Strategic management is important for all organisations, with out regards to their size or position in the market. The definition strategic management has not been agreed, however, the outcome of defining strategic management is similar. Armstrong (2002, p. 38) suggests strategic management is, that managers are looking ahead at what they need to achieve in the middle or relatively distant future. Also, Constable (1980) suggests strategic management as the management process and decisions that determine the long-term structure and activities of the organization (Thompson, 1993, p. 6). Both definitions focus on the importance of decisions to be taken for the future, by managers, so that the organisation is sustainable. This report will analyse the effectiveness of Virgin Actives strategies and also, strategies they can initiate. 2. Virgin Active 2.1 The Business Virgin was founded by Sir Richard Branson in 1970 and is one of the most well known brands in Britain. Their portfolio is diverse and ranges across from market to market such as trains, soft drinks, publishing, cosmetics, holidays, mobile phones, extreme sports, music, space tourism and the finance industry. (Appendix 1) The organisation has over 200 companies globally, and has approximately 50,000 employees. The total for Virgin in 2008, exceeded  £10 billion (Virgin, 2009) Sir Richard Branson (1990) was anxious to build the best, state-of-the-art club on the market, providing genuine value for it customers, in first class surroundings. Hence in 1999, Virgin opened their first gymnasium. Customers were attracted to the facilities and high level of customer service, and demand has grown steadily over the years. There is now 167 gyms and, approximately 900,000 members worldwide (Virgin Active, 2009). Despite Virgin Actives success, like all other organisations, they have competitors. Virgin Actives main competitors are Living Well and Fitness First, who are also globally known and placed. 3. Strategic Analysis 3.1 Internal scan The brand name Virgin, is a very valuable asset for Virgin Actives. Richard Branson (2002) said; In our customers eyes, Virgin stands for value for money, quality, innovation, fun and a sense of competitive challengeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ We often move to areas where the customer has traditionally received a poor deal, and where the competition is complacentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ We also look to deliver old products and services in new ways. The brand name Virgin is extremely well known throughout the UK. A brand name is an indication of what to expect from a product a quality statement of a value-for-money signal (Hollensen, 2006). The most successful move Virgin Active have made so far, is the  £20 million invested, for a major refurbishment and upgrade programme. Despite these strengths, these can become weaknesses of the organisation. Frequently companies can become overly convinced with their brand name, and start putting less attempts in developing the business. Thus, the organisation is under threat of not developing, or being able to sustain gloomy days in the future. The development in staff can also decline. Although  £20 million was invested by Virgin, none of it was spent on employees. And so, a opportunity for Virgin is to invest more time and finances on staff training. Leaders in the UK often lack dedicated attention from their supervisors to help develop in a planned fashion through continuous learning, both from job experience and more formal training activities (Addison, 2006, p380). It is important to have up-to-date staff development and training, as technology and the environment is constantly changing. If employees performance is weak, then the main priorities and strategies of the organisation become weak. 3.2 Environmental scan External environment must be taken in to consideration, when developing a organisations strategies. The environmental analysis determines the organisations opportunities and threats. Thompson (1993, p. 246) said, managers should always be attentive to changes and their decisions and actions should be both reactive and proactive as appropriate (Appendix 2). Thompson is defining the significance of managers adapting to different strategies depending on the environmental changes. The social environmental issues in the gymnasium market, is always changing and plays a crucial rule on deciding strategies. Virgin Active have forecasted expectancy growth, so they have a special discount for elderly people (55 years old plus). These grey consumers are relatively rich. The over-fifties own around three-quarters of the worlds financial assets and control half of the discretionary budget (Hollenson 2006, p. 48). Yet, there is also many elderly who are financially restricted due to the increase i n utility bills, and were unfortunate to have no savings. This is why Virgins strategy of decreasing prices for the elderly has been effective and also, as the elderly have started becoming more fit in this day and age, it has also had a positive outcome. Additionally, the smoking ban in Britain, showed signs of a healthier Britain. Also, due to many campaigns and advertisements issuing obesity and illnesses, the majority of the public have become self aware of health issues. Due to Hollywood/Bollywood and the general media, people are also becoming self conscious about their appearance. The stereotypical students have also changed theyre appearance, from the well known drinking, junk food eating, smoking danger zones to a more healthy-living lifestyle, recent surveys show. About one in four students is now teetotal, says National Union of Student Services and among the rest of the student population there is a growing appetite for exercise facilities and healthy eating (Coughlan, 2006). Technology is ever changing, hence why Virgin Active spent  £20 million to update their systems and keep up-to-date with modern technology. Taking these aspects into consideration is vital whiles planning strategies. According to the environment, changes in strategies should also be taken into consideration. 3.3 Purpose, objectives and strategy When developing an organisations purpose, it should take into consideration why do they exist, whom will they serve and how its value will be increased. It is vital to consider the organisations future challenges and opportunities. According to Lynch (2006,p. 340), there is three sections that help build the purpose of the organisation and should be examined at an early stage. The purpose of a organisation: shaped by vision, leadership and ethics Virgin Actives vision is to promote wellness by bringing positive change in youre life (Virgin Active, 2008). This vision shows that it is going beyond its current climate, which is achieving sufficient revenue. Leadership in an organisation is crucial as the directors choices and the social responsibilities policies influence the purpose they define. Virgin Active is run by an independent board and is mostly shareholder owned. The Executive Director, Mathew Bucknall, has combined industry experience and who also developed Virgin Active by overtaking Holmes Place, an established, popular gymnasium in the UK (Murray, 2006). This shows that the business is run by specialists who have great expertise in their field. Meaning, taking these elements in to account the objectives of the organisation is to expand their gyms by promoting health and wellness. Virgin Actives mission statement (Appendix 3) , shows that their goal is to be known around the world as a fun unique gym, available to everyone, who is offered, regardless of age or body size. Also, their goal is to expand their business in Europe within in the next three years (Virgin Active, 2008) . Also, without a capable strategy, Virgin would not have been able to become globally known (e.g. South Afica). Strategies used by Virgin Active in order to expand and also become available to all ages where: By offering different memberships to customers with various needs, E.g. offering 2 month old babies to 15 year olds a class called Club-V. Virgin Active recently invested  £20 million throughout their clubs to up-date workout machines and for refurbishment. They also took over Holmes Place, gaining all their current locations throughout Britain, tremendously helping their goals for expansion. 3.4 Core competencies A core competency makes the company different from others. Hamel and Prahalad (1990) said, core competency has three issues; it provides customer benefit, it is hard for competitors to imitate and it can be leveraged widely to many products and markets. Virgin Actives core competency would be their brand name. As mentioned before, their brand name is what makes them stand out from other gymnasiums and is generally what customers would pay extra for. Virgin Actives competitors can not take away the well known reputation that the name Virgin holds, for example, respected and trustworthy. However, the smaller gyms such as LA Fitness also have a selling unique selling point (core competency). LA Fitness are very well known for their as their personal trainers are highly qualified and highly skilled in getting the results the customer wants. This shows that all organisations have their unique selling point, which should be sustained by effective strategies. 4 SWOT Analysis 4.1 Strengths Virgin Actives most crucial strength is there successful brand name and also their strong management skills. Every venture Virgin has taken part in, it prioritises its consumers needs and wants. Virgin is an organisation that is market-driven. Market-driven organisations focus on the consumers concern throughout the company. All departments recognize the importance of the customer to the success of the business (Jobber 2004, pp. 8-8). Virgin has an exceptional reputation throughout Britain. A brand name is an indication of what to expect from a product a quality statement of a value-for-money signal (Hollensen Svend, 2006). The managing director, Mathew Bucknall invested the  £20 million for refurbishment and upgrades. This was a powerful strategy for Virgins present and future. Virgin Active accommodate all ages by providing different memberships; with special classes for the elderly to special classes for children Club V (Special child care fitness for children and entertainment) Allowing parents work out freely. Other gymnasiums do not offer this, including Fitness First. Due to the acquisition of Holmes Place, Virgin Active has gained central locations for its gyms, increasing the reputation and accessibility to the consumers. 4.2 Weaknesses Virgin Active do not reduce their price and also sale volumes are limited as the gymnasiums can become overcrowded. Virgin Active depend on the brand name, too much. Fitness First and Living Well are two large competitors The club has increased their fee, for a normal member, from  £45 in 2005 to  £61 in 2007. This is due to the refurbishment, however, no member was given a news letter. Members were given a small letter Members are not informed in the correct method about changes, as fees increased from  £45 to  £61 from 2005 to 2007 (due to refurbishment) and members were given a small letter, not a sincere letter or a newsletter. 4.3 Opportunities Although Virgin Active give discounts to the elderly, can take more advantage of the increasing grey population by having special classes, helping the elderly and making things easy for them. Virgin Actives current opening times are 6:00 am to 10:30 pm, Monday to Friday, but as many people find it hard to go to the gym in these times e.g. taxi drivers, bus drivers, restaurant workers, bar staff etc, the gym should have a couple of late night openings available for consumers that cant attend before 10:30pm. 4.4 Threats The gymnasium may have to invest in new services, as with a rising life expectancy, the elderly that are members me not stay satisfied with the current service. A decrease in an active population is also a threat. Fitness first, one of Virgin Actives competitors has given women a specialised section for weight training, this could become a threat in the long term as women may enjoy the privacy. small percentage would pluck up the courage to enter the male dominated free-weights area (Kiernainder, 2006). 5 Strategic Challenges One weakness from the SWAT analysis affecting the way Virgin Active operates is its two main competitors, Fitness First and Living Well. These competitors can have a direct impact on Virgin Active, in many ways, such as both competitors have branches world wide. A issue that is confronting Virgin Active, is that of Fitness First. Fitness First has recognised that 54% of customers going to the gym are women, thus giving them more priority. The organisation have decided to give a free-weights section, dedicated just to woman. small percentage would pluck up the courage to enter the male dominated free-weights area (Kiernainder, 2006). Also, they have health clubs run by women, for women (Fitness First, 2008). This has proved to be a success, and Virgin Active should consider to implement afew changes, to make sure they are reaching their goal, of a business that evolves around the consumer. It is important that a organisation is doing the best it can, so that customers truly believe th ey have made a good choice by joining. Living Well is also a globally known gymnasium, but, they do not offer anything special except from one day free passes which Virgin Active and Fitness First do not offer. Fitness First offer a free day pass, but afterwards, the customer must pay for their memberships. Virgin Active does not offer neither. The membership for Fitness First and Living well are relatively cheaper than Virgin Active. Virgin Active do not invest in training staff, hence customers could leave, due to bad customer service. See Appendix 4 6. Strategic options and choice Virgin is a global brand. Meaning, Virgin Actives strategy should be based upon expanding the business and developing the numbers of members. This form of strategy option is defined as the expansion option. The model (See Appendix 5) identifies the essential characteristics of this strategy option. Strategies must remain sustainable, for Virgin to continue with its expansion. As mentioned before, their goal is to open more clubs in Europe, they are already globally operated and have also recently acquired Holmes Place. Yet, there is more strategies that Virgin can consider without major costs included. As the grey population is rising, the organisation can take advantage of this and provide special classes, made for the elder. This would make it less complicated, easier, and user friendly for the elderly. In addition, Virgin Active could start opening later hours a couple of days a week, as this would differentiate them from there competitors and increase customers as the very few gy ms that are open till late, are reasonably busy. This would be a good strategy option for customers who currently cant make it to the gym, due to work. Another, relatively low cost strategy, would be to cater for woman. As Fitness First have already started a exclusive section for woman only, this would be a good choice to make Virgin Active diverse and would give them a unique selling point over most competitors. These are fairly low cost strategies that would bring more customers, meaning expanding the company. 7. Management of implications and uncertainty Every business should implement their strategies, in other words put them into practise The prime aim in implementing strategy is to deliver the mission and objectives of the organisation (Lynch, 2006, p. 610). Taking uncertainty into account is important when undertaking strategies. Driskill and Goldstein (1986) defines uncertainty as the perceived lack of information, knowledge, beliefs and feelings necessary for accomplishing organizational tasks (Palenchar and Robert, 2007, p. 126). The uncertainty table (Appendix 6) defines the two types of uncertainty as fuzziness and ambiguity. Fuzziness is present when definitive, sharp, clear or crisp distinctions are not made ( Emblemsvag and Endre, 2002, p. 844). Ambiguity is present when there is a inconsistency in deciding among different alternatives or a couple or more alternatives have been left unspecified. Virgin Active has ambiguity uncertainty, because there is uncertain issues the might deal with, such as customers may want to st art exercising outdoors rather than indoors or the more elderly may want to join the gym. Another threat could be, people becoming more green or because of nowadays easy lifestyle people may become lazy or obese, having a knock on affect on memberships. Managers maybe making the correct decisions, but staff who execute these strategies might not be doing it in the correct way. This could lead to deficiency. Managers must be ready and aware for changes that could take place, and should try utmost to apply correct strategies depending on the current issue taking place. An example of this could be, that there is no certainty that people will feel the same, as they could go towards being green. There are already fifty Green Gyms operating in the UK (Valle, 2007). Green Gyms are allowing people to exercise in the outdoors, without destroying the environment. Green Gyms are targeting people who want to make new friends, loose weight, and improve the environment. Research shows that, because the activities they undertake are not repetitive and aimless like other types of physical training, Green Gym participants tend to become more active in their daily life (ibid). To tackle this uncertainty, Virgin Active could have some outdoor classes, instead of indoor. The outdoor classes could be yoga or jogs in a remote park. And if it becomes popular, Virgin Active could advance more outdoor activities. The process of implementing a strategic change and doing it in such a way that it lasts, is evidence of the close relationship between an organisations personnel and any external specialists concerned. (Sadler.1993) Virgin Actives main purpose was to expand their club by promoting wellness. Virgin Active have implemented their objective, which is open to everyone, without age or build being a problem. The strategies the club achieved were; The Club-V for infants, discounted memberships for the elder, the acquisition of Holmes Place and spending  £20 million for improvement to the gymnasiums. The Virgin brand name, is definitely a asset to Virgin Active. Although the brand name is a strength, it can also become a weakness as some businesss become to proud of the brand name and forget to put effort into the organisation. There is also none indications of staff development. Invested my management, was  £20 million but none of the finances were spent on staff. Uncertainty can also impact on the strategies being planned. Thats why scenario planning were suggested so Virgin has an idea of issues which may occur in the future or impact current strategies. This is very useful as it produces problems and solutions. For any business to be successful, it is vital that they are ready for change and that correct planning has taken place to ensure the success of which ever strategies are chosen. 8. Appendices Appendix 1 1968 First issue of student magazine 1970 Start of Virgin Mail Order operation 1971 First Virgin record shop opens in Oxford Street, London 1972 First Virgin Recording Studio opens at The Manor near Oxford 1973 Launch of Virgin Record Label. Virgin Music Publishing is established 1977 Virgin Records signs the Sex Pistols 1984 Virgin Atlantic Airways and Virgin Cargo are born 1985 Virgin Holidays is formed 1987 Virgin Records America is founded. 1988 Virgin Megastores opens new stores. Virgin Hotels launches. 1990 Virgin Megastores arrives in Japan 1991 Virgin Publishing (Virgin Books) is formed 1992 Virgin Records is sold to Thorn EMI 1993 Virgin Radio hits the airwaves with Virgin 1215AM 1994 Launch of Virgin Vodka and Virgin Cola 1995 Virgin Direct Personal Financial Services opens for business. 1996 V2 Music is created. Virgin.Net launches. Virgin Trains is launched. 1997 Virgin Radio is acquired by Chris Evans. Virgin Cosmetics launches 1999 Virgin Mobile launches Virgins first telecomms venture. 2000 V.shop, Virgin cars, Virgin Wines and Virgin Travelstore all launch 2001 Virgin Money brand is created. Virgin Experience launches 2002 Virgin Money introduces the Virgin Credit card. Virgin Mobile in the USA. 2003 V.Shops merges completely with Virgin Megastores 2004 Virgin announces the launch of Virgin Galactic developing space tourism for everybody 2005 Virgin Mobile launches in Canada 2006 Two new businesses in South Africa Mobile and Money http://www.virgin.com/aboutvirgin/allaboutvirgin/thewholestory/default.asp Appendix 2 Definition of reactive and proactive outcomes Reactive outcomes. The environmental analysis will highlight important strategic changes over which the organisation has no control but to which, if they happen, it will need to be able to react. Proactive outcomes. The environmental analysis will identify positive opportunities or negative threats. Then, the organisation will have to develop a proactive strategy to deal with the situation. (Ref: Lynch, 2006, p. 79) Appendix 3 Virgin Active mission statement: To challenge the norm, shake up the fitness industry, and restore average gym offerings with the revolutionary concept of a life centre.   Our huge all-encompassing facilities deliver innovative solutions for health and wellness, while providing excellent value for money. Accessible to everyone; young, old, big, small, Virgin Active is a place where individuals can uncover their personal potential and have fun in the process! (Virgin Active, 2008) Appendix 4 1 Members who left due to bad customer service. 2 Members who left due to other reasons. Appendix 5 Expansion method matrix Company Inside Outside Internal development Exporting Overseas office Overseas manufacture Multinational operation Global operation Merger Acquisition Joint Venture Alliances Franchises Merger Acquisition Joint venture Alliances Franchise Turnkey Licensing Home Country Internati-onal (Ref: Lynch, 2006, p. 467) Appendix 6 Management of implications and uncertainty Uncertainty Fuzziness The lack of definite or sharp distinctions Vagueness Cloudiness Haziness Unclearness Indistinctiveness Ambiguity One-to-many relationships Discord Disagreement in choosing among several alternatives Dissonance Incongruity Haziness Conflict No specificity Two or more alternatives are left unspecified Variety Geniality Diversity Imprecision (Ref: Klir and Yuan, 1995)

Destiny, Fate, Free Will and Free Choice in Homers Iliad :: Iliad essays

Fate and Destiny in The Iliad The Iliad portrays fate and destiny as supreme and ultimate forces. The Iliad presents the question of who or what is finally responsible for a man's destiny, yet the answers to this question are not quite clear. In many instances, it seems that man has no control over his fate and destiny, but at other points, it seems as if a man's fate lies in the consequences of his actions and decisions. Therefore, The Iliad reveals a man sometimes controls his destiny. In The Iliad the god's fate is controlled much in the same way as a mortal's, except for one major difference, the immortals cannot die and therefore do not have a destiny. Immortal's lives may not be judged because they have not and will not die. The gods are able to manipulate mortal's fate but not their own directly. In Book I, the plague is a result of the upsetting of Apollo. The gods produce situations over trivial things, such as forgetting a sacrifice or, in this case, insulting Chryses. The gods have temper tantrums, and they switch sides quickly and without consideration. One day they protect the Achaeans, the nextt day the Trojans. The gods play favorites with no sense at all of any of the moral or political issues involved in the war. Zeus does what he can, but the others behave as though they were better than all the rest, in more ways than one. They have no compassion for their own kind, and their concern for man is even less. Occasionally, the gods will show c oncern for one of their favorites when he is having a bad time, but it is very rare. This attitude is the result of their own vindictiveness against humanity and man's own tendency to irrational behavior or carelessness in worshipping the gods. But more often than not, men find themselves fighting a force beyond their control. The opening statement of The Iliad contains the phrase "the will of Zeus," and this reflects the Greek's belief that man is in the grip of forces that he cannot control. It is also another way of saying that all things are fated and out of the hands of man. Book XXII shows that the gods control the fates of man: But once they reached the springs for the fourth time,