It for my eco class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

It for my eco class - Essay Example This is correct because the First Amendment prohibition against Congress making laws abridging speech does not exempt corporate speech. A potential danger of distinguishing corporate speech from free speech is that it places a limit on free speech. This is a danger because limiting constitutional rights is the same as questioning the integrity of the document and implying that the rights can be selectively applied (Polsby 23). On the other hand, a con of the Supreme Court’s ruling is that it has in a way made it possible for corporations to buy elections because it has opened elections to undue corporate influence over the election process. Corporations bring people together and give them tremendous power and influence that is more than that of individual voters. Another dimension to the ruling’s risk of opening the election to undue corporate influence is the potential for foreign corporate influence (Wilks 67). This risk is imminent especially because of the fact that foreign entities and persons own many corporations in the United States. Allowing foreign corporate influence on the elections of the United States is like creating a lee way for these foreign entities and individuals to support and endorse regimes which support their agenda even if it is not meant to benefit Americans (Smith 36). My opinion on this matter is that despite the advantages that come with this Court decision, it has serious negative implications that cannot be overlooked. Allowing corporations to fund certain political candidates compromises the efficacy of the outcomes of elections. This is because it will make voters feel that their preferred candidate did not win or lose the election justly. This is because voters reckon that corporations have more access to capital than they have and as such the outcomes of elections will represent the voice of corporations more than

Outlook report for M&S(Marks & Spencer) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Outlook report for M&S(Marks & Spencer) - Essay Example They are also planning to open up eco-friendly stores for their green credentials. Strategic planning process comprises of an important ingredient of external environmental analysis. Environmental analysis helps ascertain the state of factors internal to the firm which can further be classified as a firm's Strength or Weakness while those external to the firm can be classified as Opportunities and threats. This study of the strategic environment is called SWOT analysis. SWOT analysis facilitates the extraction of strategic information which aids in matching a firm's resources to the environment in which it operates. 1) Acceleration of store renewal programme-M&S have already started investing in their stores and completed about 70% of their modernization programme. They are planning to modernise an additional 10% of space and open up an additional 5.5% of new space in the coming years. With launch of new eco-friendly store, they will be able to cut the down the cost tremendously in the next 5 years. Within one year, they are able to save around 20% of their energy in the store. 2) Private labeled grocery- M&S sells 90% of its own food brands. Despite M&S experiencing difficult trading conditions in their clothing departments, their food halls have continued to run successful business. It consistently offers innovative, high quality and rigorously checked food. 3) Everyday value shop with quality- Making Marks & Spencer a more convenient place to shop, the popular shopping basket items have reviewed prices without comprising with the qualities of the product. Although the company is working according to market price but without hampering their quality and standards. 4) Variety of food products at one stop shop- Marks & Spencer's ready to eat meals are long been famous for their great ingredients. As more of consumer start spending their time in kitchens and would be spending in the next 5 -10 years, they come with new range of 300 ingredients right starting from fresh herbs to bread and cakes-makes easier cooking starting from scratch. 5) Expansion of stores and intensive use of space: Currently in UK, there are 622 stores and 278 international stores all over the world. With the possibility of resurging economy after 2 -3 years, they will be planning to expand their stores in UK as well as globally also. This makes their presence in UK stronger than any other brand. With the current downturn in the economy, they have already started utilizing the floor space for every square foot to its full potential. Selling space will be reallocated to higher growth product areas to maximize returns per square foot. Weakness: 1) Late entrant: With the increasing disposable income of the people and increasing awareness of the people about the healthy and dietary food, Marks & Spencer became a late entrant into this segment. Even talking about the experience of the store and one stop food shop, they had just entered into this segment. This becomes disadvantage for them as last mover. 2) Strong presence in UK- It has strong presence only in UK. It has 622 stores in UK and 278 stores internationally, which

Kasanayan Sa Filipino Essay Example for Free

Kasanayan Sa Filipino Essay Romblon /rÉ’mˈbloÊŠn/rom-blohn, (Tagalog: Lalawigan ng Romblon), is an island province of the Philippines located in the MIMAROPA region. It lies south of Marinduque and Quezon, east of Mindoro, north of Aklan and Capiz, and west of Masbate. Its capital is also named Romblon. According the May 2010 Philippine census, it has a total population of 283,930 people.[2] The province of Romblon is composed of three larger islands; Romblon Island at the center where the provincial capital is located, Tablas Island to the west, and Sibuyan Island to the east. It also includes the smaller islands of Banton, Maestro de Campo, Simara, Carabao, Carlota and Isabel. Approximately 187 nautical miles (346 km) south of Manila, the islands of Romblon lie on Sibuyan Sea, south of Marinduque Island and north of Panay Island. To the east is the island of Masbate and in the west, the island of Mindoro. The province is composed of three major islands: Romblon, where the capital city of Romblon is located, Tablas, the largest island in the province, and Sibuyan, the easternmost island. There are also four smaller island municipalities: Banton Island, Simara Island, Maestro de Campo Island, and Carabao Island. Most of Romblons islands have a mountainous and rugged topography, and are of volcanic origin. The highest elevation in the province is Mount Guiting-Guiting in Sibuyan, which stands at 2,058 m. The peak boasts one of the most challenging climbs in the country due to its jagged summit.[3] Due to its geography, the province is endowed with lush vegetation and mineral resources. The fertile soil nurtures various agricultural activities. Being an archipelago, its coasts are dotted with numerous fine, white sand beaches such as in Carabao Island and Cresta del Gallo. Offshore, Romblon is a rich fishing ground. The islands lie on the migratory path of fishes from the Sulu and Visayan Seas, passing the Tablas Strait, Sibuyan Sea and Romblon Pass.[4] Romblon does not have a truly pronounced wet or dry season though the heaviest rainfall occurs from September to January. The driest months are March and April which are the best months to visit the province. 27Â ° Celsius is the annual mean temperature, with February being the coldest month with temperatures dropping to 20Â °C, and May being the warmest month wherein temperatures could reach 35Â °C. Southwest monsoon winds or Habagat pass through the province from June to October while northeasterly winds or Amihan blows through the islands from December to February. This Turtle Sanctuary Project is Sponsored by Chris Bech and his wife Theresa – Beach Land Estate Inc. Tablas Island. We are proud to pass on our latest pictures of the new baby Turtles that were hatched yesterday at our Turtle Sanctuary in Ferrol, Tablas Island, Romblon. 64 new baby turtles all hatched and are healthy and eating well, there are another 120 eggs in another batch, and 80 in another batch of eggs, they should hatch within the next week or so, we will update you. We have made a turtle egg protective area, to protect the eggs from predators, and we have a nipa hut where we assist visitors and have viewing area, we are in the process of making a new web site Romblon Marine Life which will be published early January 2012.

A Midsummer Nights Dream Performance Analysis

A Midsummer Nights Dream Performance Analysis In A Midsummer Nights Dream- How would you perform the role of: Lysander (500 words) Demetrius(500 words) Helena(500 words) Hermia(500 words) Theseus(500 words) in order to convey interpretation of the role to your audience? A point to consider before bringing the individual character interpretations into play is how to contextualise the performances within the text as a whole. In other words, the characters are not mutually exclusive entities, rather, they are interactive and woven into the landscape of the play. Therefore, I would like to propose a general outline for the overall performance. There are many ways to perform ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ and the way I choose will affect elements of the characters. There have been many performances of Shakespearean drama, where the play is brought into the modern day. I however, would like to perform the play in its classic setting. I would like the play to retain its archaic time setting. It is a very self-reflexive play – it is a play about staging a play. This highlights the idea of drama at its root – the reheasrsal and work that goes into a play. I would like to leave the play in an olden day setting because it consolidates the idea of drama being detached from life through its artifice, and the play being set in a by-gone era further consolidates the idea of detaching drama from everyday life. (a)The first character I would like to look at is Lysander. He refuses to yield to Demetrius’s demand for Hermia’s hand, and risks the wrath of Theseus by eloping with Hermia. This demonstrates not only the depth of his feeling for Hermia, but also his conviction in his own beliefs, and the courage to carry out these beliefs. The comic arc of Lysander’s performance hits its climax after Puck has sprinkled the love potion into his eyes and he falls in love with Helena. I would perform the character with some hyperbole at this point, in order to convey the comic element of the text to the audience. The idea of Lysander challenging Demetrius to a duel in order to win Helena’s hand is an example of the excessive behaviour and heightened action that brings much of the comedy into the play. It is a humour that comes from the reversal of the natural order – Helena has gone from being desperately in love with Demetrius and being scorned by him to being the object of both men’s affection, for example. This reversal in the behaviour of Lysander is something I’d like to highlight in performance. I think a change in demeanor, and in vocal qualities could highlight this. At the beginning of the play, Lysander is portrayed as a romantic hero. I would convey this to the audience through his appearance; ideally, the role would be filled by a tall, handsome man. I would like him to wear a costume of light material – symbolising the innocence of the ‘true lovers’ (Hermia’s description of themselves). As I would like to keep the play true to its chromatic origins, I would like Lysander to wear a type of Athenean costume, which he could change when he enters the wood. I would like all the characters to change their costumes when they enter the forest, to represent the immense change in their environment. I would like him to don a more earthy, swarthy coloured robe, such as green, to convey the pastoral environment to the audience. I would like to focus on how the character of Lysander should be performed during the sequence in which he challenges Demetrius to a duel. The interpretation that I would like to convey to the audience is one of escalating absurdity, which contributes to humour. This would be done through the props, delivery, vocal quality, paralinguistic features and a demonstration of how Lysander relates to Demetrius in this section: Lysander †¦Helen, I love thee. By my life I do. I swear by that which I will lose for thee To prove him false that says I love thee not. Demetrius I say I love thee more than he can do. Lysander If thou say so, withdraw, and prove it too. (Scene III, Act II, lines 251-256) There is a strong sense of rhythm in these lines, and also rhyme, which contribute to the tension and sense of heightened action. I would like the actor to highlight the rhythm in his delivery. I would like Lysander to adopt a masculine stance, and to circle Dimitrius, expanding his movement around the stage, owning the stage, as it were, using the entire stage to convey to the audience that he feels he owns the space, as he prowls around it. (493 words) A character trait that emerges from the text is the point where he tells the infatuated Helena that when he says, â€Å"Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit;/For I am sick when I do look on thee.† (Scene II Act I, lines 211-212). This utterance evokes a sense of his cruel nature, a pejorative view of Demetrius which is further consolidated when we examine the first first scene of the first act. When Lysander and Hermia are told that they cannot marry, Demetruis tells them they should let him have his â€Å"certain right.† (Scene I Act I line 92). There is subsequently a huge change in Demetruis when he falls back in love with Helena at the end of the play. This is indicative of a softening of his character – a change which I feel should be represented visually in performance. In order to convey Demetruis’s somewhat cruel, righteous nature to the audience, I think the actor should appropriate a certain demeanor. Body language could be used to demonstrate his confident, cocky side. For example, he could strut, use large gestures and also make use of all of the stage space – exercising his self imposed ‘right’ to the stage space in the same way that he wants to exercise his ‘right’ to Hermia’s hand. I would like his costume to be dark colours – such as a rich red – and flamboyant design, to contrast with Lysanders’. The vocal qualities should also demonstrate these traits. He only has two lines in scene I, act one, so it is very important how these are represented, as they will be the first impression the audience have of him. Demetrius’s lines are: Relent, sweet Hermia; and, Lysander, yield Thy crazed title to my certain right. (Scene I, Act I, lines 91-92) The way in which this line is performed is very important. As the tormented lovers, the audience feels very strongly for Hermia and Lysander, to whom the presence of Demetrius is an invasive one. I would therefore also like to convey to the audience this sense of invasion. When Demetrius says, â€Å"Relent, sweet Hermia†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I would like him to walk up to Hermia, and put his arm around her, caressing her with his other hand, turning them both away from Lysander. When he speaks to Lysander, Demetrius should keep his back to Lysander, but turn his head to face him, so that his line is like an aside, as if he does not respect him. The words ‘†¦crazed title†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ should be accompanied by paralinguistic features, such as an outstretching arm to convey to the audience how much Demetrius does not want Lysander and Hermia to marry. Finally, the word ‘†¦my†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ should be over emphasized to convey that Demetrius strongly feels that Hermia shou ld be his, whether she loves him or not, because of the wishes of her father. His character, and especially his behaviour towards Helana changes at the end of the play. Whilst in the earlier stages of the play, he is confident, using large gestures and a lot of stage space, at the end of the play, I would like him to express a more tender side to the audience, to convey the development of his character: That we are awake? It seems to me That yet we sleep, we dream. Do not you think The duke was here, and bid us follow him? (Scene IV, Act I, lines 192-194) This line should be used to convey character development to the audience as it contrasts so strongly with his opening line – the use of ‘†¦you†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ in contrast to ‘†¦my†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ for example. There is also a confusion in this utterance, which contrast with the confidence in the first lines. (566 words) Helena At the beginning of the play, Helena is portrayed as hapless; the scorned lover who has been wooed by Demetrius and then ignored in favour of Hermia. However, like Demetrius, Helena demonstrates a massive character development and transformation. Like Lysander, the arc of her character trajectory reaches its crescendo after Puck has sprinkled the love potion in Lysander and Demetrius’s eyes. When they both try to woo her, she feels they are mocking her, and gets angry. To best convey the transformation in her character between before and after the love potion has been dispensed, I’d like to consider how vocal quality and demeanor can be used in two of her utterances: Call you me fair? That ‘fair’ again unsay. Demetrius loves your fair. O happy fair! †¦Sickness is catching. O, were favour so, Yours would I catch, fair Hermia, ere I go. †¦O, teach me how you look, and with what art You sway the motion of Demetrius’ heart. (Scene I, Act I, lines 181-194) This except is from a long speech in which Helena proceeds to extol the virtues of Hermia, with whom Demetrius is infatuated. The key message I would like to convey to the audience from this speech is the idea that Helena is confused, upset and slightly jealous of Hermia. She is asking Hermia how she won the heart of Demetrius. In order to convey this dejection to the audience, I think the delivery of this speech should involve some rhetoric – while Helena is asking Hermia how she wooed him, and saying how fair Hermia is, my interpretation of this speech is that it is a melancholy meditation on the loss of her love. She is not looking for external answers, rather internal answers, and so it is questions she is asking herself. This could be expressed to the audience by the character of Helena distancing her self physically from the group – this would be a visual symbol of her isolation. Her demeanor and body language would be hunched and dejected, and her voice subdued a nd hushed The other speech that is a seminal moment in the performance of Helen is when she feels she is being mocked by the two men, and gets angry. Clearly her relationship with Demetrius is changed when he falls in love with her. While she may be unaware of it, the hierarchy of the relationship has been overturned, and she has now adopted a position of power. In her speech, she says: O spite! O hell! I see you are all bent To set against me for your merriment. If you were civil and knew courtesy You would not do me thus much injury. (Scene III, Act II, lines 145-148) This speech can be used to great effect to demonstrate the performance possibilities of this role. The demeanor and vocal qualities performing this speech would require differ hugely to the earlier one – with a louder voice, delivery directed at the other characters and inflated body language required. (493 words) Hermia Hermia is represented in the play as a strong, defiant young woman, prepared to take risks in order to fulfil her own desires. This is exemplified in her refusal to bow down to her father’s wish that she marry Demetrius. In the face of a death sentence, or life in a nunnery, she escapes with Lysander into the forest. Lysander’s love for Hermia, along with Demetrius’s desire, demonstrate that she is an attractive and desirable young woman. These are two important points I’d like to consider when constructing the performance of Hermia. I would like to convey to the audience her inner strength and determination, alongside her physical attractiveness. The notion of physical attractiveness could be conveyed primarily through costume and appearance. As Hermia is clearly a woman of considerable charm (illustrated when Helena asks her what charm she used to capture Demetruis’s heart), her costume should reflect this. As it is believed that she unwittingly won over Demetrius (this is an ambiguity in the text – it is possible that Demetrius loves her because her father is so impressed by him) I would also like to impress upon the audience a sense of naivete and innocence. The obvious symbolic colour of this is white. White would also look striking under the stage lights. I would use floaty fabrics for the costumes, such as organza, to communicate the ethereal quality of not only Hermia herself, but also the forest, and the magic contained within it. When Hermia leaves Athens and escapes to the forest, I would like her to adopt a robe over her dress, of green, to convey to the audience, through her change in costume, that a change is impending in the play. While the charm and beauty of the character of Hermia will be communicated visually, the inner strength and courage that I interpret as being key elements of her character, will be communicated through her demeanor. It is commonly understood in the study of body language that confident people stand up straight, unlike shy people, who hunch up, in a subconscious decision to take up less space. In this way, stage space becomes an important indicator of personality. I have mentioned before that I would, at certain points in the text like characters to use the whole space of the stage to convey a sense of confidence. I would like the performance of Hermia to adopt a comfortable use of the entire stage space. More specifically, I would like to refer to one speech that I feel is very important in the text, in Scene I, Act I, when Hermia is talking to Theseus with regards to her desire to marry Lysander: So will I grow, so live, so die, my lord, Ere I will yield my virgin patent up Unto his lordship whose unwished yoke My soul consents not to give soveregnity. (Scene I, Act I, lines 79-82) This speech is an important point at the text because Hermia makes clear her intentions to avoid marriage to Demetrius. It is a very dramatic, sensitive piece. This speech should be delivered with intensity, to convey to the audience the depth of Hermia’s feelings for Lysander. The performance should include some paralinguistic features such as moving around the stage, facial expressions and hand movements to express her feelings visually. (549 words) My understanding of Theseus is that he is a very complex character – there is conflicting evidence in the text as to his true nature. There is one utterance in the text that brings up questions regarding his true nature, when he is talking to Hippolyta and he says that: Hippolyta, I wooed thee with my sword, And won thy love doing thee injuries; But I will wed thee in another key: (Scene I, Act I, lines 16-18) My interpretation of this line is that Theseus raped Hippolyta. The implications of this in terms of how the character should be performed are vast. In much of the text, Theseus is represented as a pensive, thoughtful man. He kindly advises Hermia to â€Å"Take time to pause†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Scene I, Act I, line 83) when discussing the situation with her father Egeus. This scene presents him as rational and kindly. The suggestion of rape in line 16 makes the line highly important, the suggestion I would like to convey to the audience is the idea that Theseus is warning Hippolyta. In bringing the issue of the rape to the forefront, he is reminding her of the power balance in their relationship. There is also possibly some penitence in this admission. This could be communicated to the audience through the use of certain vocal qualities, demeanor and stage space. I would like Theseus’s sense of power to be conveyed to the audience in a visual way, so he would deliver this speech standing, and walking around, whilst the character of Hippolyta would be sitting down. The discrepancy in their heights would be a visual representation of the hierarchy, which would further consolidate what Theseus was saying. This is such a patriarchal power play that props could be used to represent a sense of phallocentricity – such as a sceptre – a regal and phallic symbol. The use of this prop co uld convey to the audience my interpretation of Theseus as being the patriarchal and dominant force in the opening of the play. His kingdom is run on a set of rigid rules – for example, Egeus invoking the ancient law of Athens as Hermia wants to marry Lysander. This is in stark contrast to the forest – the mysterious, feminine arena which is the binary opposite of Athens. In terms of demeanor, Theseus should be calm, and considered in his movements. I would like his costume to be of dark colours, and of neat, clean lines. This operates in contrast to Hermia’s costume – the white of her costume is a symbol of innocence while the dark of Theseus’s costume is aligned with the dark side he hints at in this speech. (440 words)

Conceit and Misfortune in Oliver Goldsmith’s The Vicar of Wakefield Ess

Conceit and Misfortune in Oliver Goldsmith’s The Vicar of Wakefield From three hundred years of Ireland’s history, The Penguin Book of Irish Fiction1[1] collects a combination of complete works and samples of the works of many great Irish authors. Among the authors included in this volume is Oliver Goldsmith, an Irishman of great diversity in his writings and remembered perhaps as well for his individuality, character and generosity as for the various poems, essays, and works of fiction that he contributed to literary world. The Vicar of Wakefield, the selection chosen for the anthology, is not only significant because it is often considered his best work, but also as it is the only novel that Goldsmith ever wrote.2[2] The Vicar of Wakefield is an amusing and captivating tale that follows the life and hardships of the Vicar Primrose and his family, as they journey from happiness, through calamity, to the bare escape of complete ruin. The story’s humor as well as its plot result both equally, and to a great extent, from Goldsmith’s creation of the Primrose family’s hot and invariable desire to rise again to happiness by finding ways to better their dire financial straits and to reverse their societal decline. Although the passage in the anthology presents only four chapters from the novel, may of the ideas there presented introduce in, comment on, or foreshadow to various themes, lessons, and events of great importance to the work as a whole. These ideas will carry through the plot, and culminate in the story’s denouement at which time, if not previously, they will all be finally understood and their significance revealed. Among them are the here apparently def inite social boundaries that divides the rich from ... ...nt in the story Primrose had lamented, â€Å"O, my children, if you could be learn to commune your own hearts, and know what noble company you can make them, you would little regard the elegance and splendors of the worthless† (p. 147). Had the rest the Primrose family ever been inclined to understand this early on, and to feel in the same way sated with the simple existence that satisfied their patriarch, many of their misfortunes may have been avoided. However, without them story’s lessons, adventures, hilarity, and glorious unexpected conclusion would have been lost as well.    Notes: [1] Tobin, Colm, ed. The Penguin Book of Irish Fiction. New York: Penguin Books, 2001. [2] All further references to The Vicar of Wakefield will be cited as part of the complete work: Goldsmith, Oliver. The Vicar of Wakefield. 1766. Ed. Stephen Coote. London: Penguin Books, 1982.

Lisa Harvey-Smith on the Ska Mega-Telescope

Lisa Harvey-Smith on the SKA Mega-Telescope – Multiple Choice Questions 1. With current scientific technology, it is concluded that __% of our known matter is Baryonic matter, __% is Dark Matter, while __% is Dark Energy. A. 33, 27, 40 B. 7, 23, 70 C. 4, 23, 73 D. 9, 25, 66 2. Also called the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center, the Arecibo Observatory is the world’s largest single-aperture radio telescope. It is located in ______. A. Mexico B. Iceland C. Jamaica D. Puerto Rico 3. The first picture ever made was an oval shaped depiction of the early universe, specifically the cosmic microwave background radiation.The intense blue, green, yellow and red hues depict ______. A. Fluctuations in temperature B. Infrared satellite data C. Sound waves D. Large concentrations of dark energy 4. The world’s first smart radio telescope received radio waves from the ______, then received the same signals bounced off the sea. This was helpful to create fine pinpoint pictu res of radio sources outside of our own galaxy. A. Horizon B. Mountains C. Atmosphere D. Glaciers 5. The world’s largest optical telescope is located on a mountain in the Canary Islands.Capable of making exquisitely detailed pictures of the sky, this particular telescope has a massive mirror ofjust over __ meters across. A. 6 B. 8 C. 10 D. 12 6. The Australian telescope compacting ray, composed of 6 radio telescopes took over ____ hours of observing and a 400 image mosaic to create a solid picture of the universe. A. 120 B. 1200 C. 12000 D. 120000 7. Within the early 1900’s, Albert Einstein concluded that space and time actually bends around certain objects with gravitational pull and mass. This can be visualized by the comparison of ______ . A. A puck hitting a net and the net bending to accommodate the force B.The stretch of rubber band and the snapping affect C. The return of a boomerang D. The bending of metal as it is heated 8. The Hubble Telescope is a small tele scope, but it is effective for developing clear images because there are no _____ distortions, in comparison to on-earth telescopes. A. Ultra-Violet B. Photon C. Bird and wildlife D. Atmospheric 9. Scientists won the Noble prize for discovering that the Universe is expanding at a rate much faster than previously anticipated. There are several names used to describe this expansion effect, but the most accepted is ______. A. Quintessence B. Vacuum Energy C.Cosmological Constant D. Dark Energy 10. There are several problems with developing new Radio Telescopes, one of these challenges is overcoming interference and finding a location without human activity. However, a place without human activity is also problematic because ___________. A. The location is too far for scientists and astronomers to commute B. There are no large power stations to generate the electricity required to operate telescopes C. With such a great distance from civilization, it will take a long time to transmit in formation D. Emergency teams will not be able to make it in time in the case of an emergency

Amazon.com Site

Recently, Amazon. com has enjoyed amazing sales and market share growth. However, Amazon. com is still running under an operating loss. This report will examine the historical strengths and weaknesses of Amazon. com, as well as the current opportunities and threats. The current strategic plan includes expanding into either online auctions or B2B exchanges. It is believed that Amazon. com’s many partnerships, as well as its technical expertise with online web platforms, would make it an instant leader in online auctions and B2B exchanges. After examining these metrics, I have come to the conclusion that Amazon.com should focus on: 1. Increasing its international market share, possibly into the Middle East and China. 2. Increasing market share in current markets in North America and Europe. 3. Delay entrance into online auctions and B2B exchanges until Amazon. com shows a consistent profit and those profits can sustain the large expense of setting up a new business model. Evalua tion of Current Objectives and Current Strategy Amazon. com has always had an objective to sacrifice short-term profits for building long-term growth, market share, and increased shareholder value.Now, Amazon. com is concerned with developing an effective differentiating enterprise-wide strategy, all the while maintaining the desire for expansion. This includes the possibility of moving into online auctions, competing with eBay, and B2B exchanges, optimizing the partnerships Amazon. com already has. Current Strengths and Weaknesses Strengths: †¢ Amazon. com has shown record sales and has reduced its operating loss dramatically and consistently increased market share and expanded product offerings. †¢ Amazon.com has a reputation for being one of the first businesses online and embracing the idea of taking orders through a website – first-mover advantage. †¢ Amazon. com has no physical stores. This creates low overhead which means a bigger profit margin on increa sed sales. †¢ Amazon. com collects payments immediately and floats vendor payments 30-40 days, which generates a large working capital. †¢ Amazon. com has contracts and alliances with many suppliers. †¢ Amazon. com has a large and loyal customer base. †¢ Amazon. com has an online shopping platform that is the envy of the retail shopping world. †¢ Amazon.com has partnerships with other retail companies to cross-sell products. Weaknesses: †¢ Investment in other online companies resulted in a loss of close to $135 million. With the current economy, similar losses could be felt again. †¢ Amazon. com is still maintaining an operating loss. †¢ Shareholder pressure to show a profit is great. Analysis of Current Environmental Threats and Opportunities Threats: †¢ Increased competition. †¢ Overall poor economic environment. †¢ Possible repeal of the sales tax exemption. Opportunities: †¢ Leverage the large customer base in expansion into new market segments.†¢ Use experience of expansion into foreign markets to further expansion into the Middle East and China, with large computer-savvy populations. †¢ Use well-known and easy-to-use platform to expand base of suppliers that use Amazon. com’s website offerings for their own online presence. Stakeholder Analysis †¢ Government agencies are interested in Amazon. com because of its wide reach. Being an international organization and crossing state lines within the United States, Amazon. com’s increase in sales could yield high profits to the countries and states in the form of taxes and permits.International government would also be concerned with an American presence and the affect that has on the people. †¢ Labor unions do not have much of a stake in what happens to Amazon. com because it has very few employees and all of the positions are traditionally not union jobs. †¢ Competing organizations are definitely interested in A mazon. com’s performance. Amazon. com has developed so many partnerships that it is difficult to increase market share and almost impossible to enter the market. If they were to expand into online auctions or B2B exchanges, Amazon.com’s reach may drastically cut into the market share of its competitors. †¢ Employees would be affected by Amazon. com’s performance because of stock options and the viability of the company. †¢ Suppliers would be concerned with Amazon. com offering competitive products at a lower price, similar to Amazon. com’s concern when they set up zStores. They would also be concerned with Amazon. com offering products that are competitive on the same site. †¢ Customers would benefit from an increase in availability of the products they desire on a platform that is well-known, safe, easy, and custom-tailored to meet their needs.†¢ Civic groups may be more interested in the Amazon. com as more products will be more avai lable to the population. †¢ Public interest groups may take a greater interest in Amazon. com in a similar manner to the civic groups. They would also be interested in the working conditions of Amazon. com’s partners. †¢ Stockholders will most definitely be affected by any change in Amazon. com. Being so close to showing a profit rather than an operating loss, shareholders are interested in increasing sales, decreasing cost, and increasing market share. Identifying Current Problems†¢ The first alternative (online auction) encourages email marketing (spam) and television marketing (which has proven not to be cost effective in the past). †¢ Setting up a separate online auction takes the risk of diluting the image of the overall organization. Amazon. com is known for quality, and auctions are known for deep discount shopping. It also goes against the mission of creating one giant organization all under one brand. †¢ Competing with eBay on pricing structu res sets up a price war, which minimizes the draw of Amazon. com’s quality and customer service. †¢ Setting up a B2B exchange could cause a conflict of interest for Amazon.com between existing partners and potential ones, stifling the availability of suppliers available in the exchange. †¢ Creating a B2B exchange that is not specialized waters down some of the impact. Coupled with competition from other exchanges, it could compromise Amazon. com’s existing partnerships. Alternative Strategies †¢ Focusing on maintaining market share in existing markets. †¢ Not expanding into other markets until Amazon. com is showing a healthy profit and is able to finance the expansion with profits. †¢ Expand into other countries, developing even more of a presence, perhaps in the Middle East and China. RecommendationsMy recommendation would be for Amazon. com to focus its finances and energy on increasing its existing market share. Expansion has worked for Ama zon. com all along, but I am concerned that it is becoming too large of a giant, potentially spreading too thin. If Amazon. com focused its efforts on expanding into other markets, like the Middle East and China, doing what it does best, and increasing market share in existing markets, it could show a profit for a while. Then, after the auction industry has settled down, Amazon. com could present itself as a fresh new alternative to the tired, worn-out ways of the likes of eBay and Covisint.