LEGO: Porters Five Forces and PEST

LEGO: Porters Five Forces and PEST LEGO is one of the most popular toy brands due to the companys distinctive brand image, high-quality products and creative business climate. However, the present successful performance of the company went through a period of significant transformation. In the beginning of the 21st century the company experienced drastic net loss which was resulted by internal inefficiency and over-ambitious expansion targets. The transformation path of the company has not always been smooth and flawless as LEGO faced some substantial threats over the lengthy period of operation. In the beginning of the 21st century the company experienced significant tremors which were resulted by profitability deficit of 1.4 billion DKK. At present LEGO has introduced a number of innovative strategies to enhance its consumer insight, reinforce its creative dynamics and produce more market-relevant products. The company has been involved in a number of operations which include the work of external professionals and enthusiasts to attract greater creativity influx to the production of new products. Although LEGO has gone through a period of highly positive transformations, the company is still facing a number of environmental threats and operational risk. The introduction of the Mindstorms NXT product line made the company penetrate in a highly competitive market where innovative and experienced brands as SONY failed. On the other hand, the company is working with a number of external parties which implies a continuous risk and pressure on the companys intellectual property. Moreover, the coordination of external professionals is hard to be sustained in the long-term and also hard for the company to fit these professionals within the corporate culture. In this context, the present report is focused on analysing the strategic capabilities which LEGO possesses, exploring the external environment and identifying business opportunities and threats. The purpose of the report is to outline some strategic issues which the company needs to avoid or exploit and thus introduce recommendations to promote LEGOs profit sustainability in the long-term. The Environment The environment in which LEGO operates can be characterised as highly dynamic. The companys products have been played by some 300 million children and adults on annual basis. LEGO manufacturers more than 1 400 000 components every hour to fulfill sales of some 100 million products worldwide every year (The Voice of the Customer, 2001). Deriving from these findings, it can be suggested that LEGO manages a highly diverse and complex environment where efficient resource allocation is of paramount importance for profit sustainability. The internal complexity of the organisation can be recognised as one of the main source for the past net profit loss as the company could not realise its resource potential, many new concepts were never released to market and the focus on continuous expansion incurred substantial costs. This is the reason why, LEGOs EBIT margins were falling in period when the company achieved high sales growth (Figure 1) (Robertson and Crawford, 2008). LEGOs Revenue and EBIT comparison Figure 1 Apart from the complex internal climate, LEGO has been also operating in a challenging external environment which can be identified from the presented PEST analysis (Figure 2). Political Environmental LEGO needs to consider international emerging markets, such as China. However, the company would need to be knowledgeable and flexible with respect to responding to the specific political characteristics of the Chinese market, such as penetrating through state-owned enterprises and government equity within the venture. Moreover, the company needs to produce products which continuously comply with health and safety regulations and, therefore LEGO is constantly exposed to risk and regulatory pressure (The Voice of the Customer, 2001). The company is operating in a business climate where the global environmental sustainability is continuously growing in importance. This is the reason why, producing plastic products as a core product line is of substantial challenge for the companys corporate citizenship and responsiveness to environmental degradation (Tracey et al., 2005). Social Technological The company has been continuously challenged by the need to keep up with new emerging social trends and lifestyles of their consumers. New toy themes have been continuously released on the market, therefore continuous research and product development would be one of the most expensive operations of the organisation (Robinson and Crawford, 2008). LEGO has penetrated a highly competitive market with its Mindstorms NXT product range. The company is facing competitors, such as the popular robotic brand of WowWee. Moreover, this market requires significant product development costs and thus is likely to challenge the companys profitability. For example, brands as SONY, which has significantly more experience than LEGO in electronic products failed to realise its robotic ambitions (Allonrobots, 2009). LEGOs PEST analysis Figure 2 Strategic Capability The strategic capabilities of LEGO are explored and analysed through the use of the resource-based view theory. The resource-based view theory describes the strategic capability of organisations are based on their internal resources. In this respect, in order for a company to have high degree of strategic capability it needs to possess resources which are valuable, rare, in-imitable and non-substitutable (Colbert, 2004). In this respect, the following table adopts the resource-based view theory to evaluate the strategic capability of LEGO (Figure 3). Resource Characteristics LEGOs Strengths LEGOs Weaknesses Valuable One of the most valuable resources of LEGO is knowledge. The company has a well-developed team of engineers and designers and is also employing external professionals to enhance the industry knowledge and creativity of the team. LEGO is producing an extensive amount of new design and prototypes and only few ever reach the market. In this respect, the company may generate some valuable know-how and intellectual property but at the end appears to be wasted and not successfully utilised. Rare The resource which can be identified as rare is the brand image of LEGO. The company have distinctive brand image and product ranges. This is proved by the case study analysis which revealed that LEGOs reduction of product components ignited dissatisfaction among customers. Although LEGO possesses some rare resources and capabilities the company is facing some significant competition from other toy segments. Moreover, LEGOs Mindstorms NXT product line is competing with WowWee which have greater experience and know-how in this particular segment of the market. In-imitable LEGO is continuously producing new concepts and product lines and therefore it is hard for competitors to imitate them. Moreover, the company has been recently paying extensive attention to community responses to their product prototypes which has been enhancing the companys continuously enhanced insight on segment needs. On the other hand, LEGOs products can be easily imitated by competitors with respect to toy themes and components. However, as already recognised the company has distinctive brand image which differentiates the brand from possible copy cats. Non-substitutable LEGO possesses non-substitutable resources such as intellectual property, designing capabilities, know-how and industrial insight. The company is competing with a great number of toy brands which provide consumers with substitutions for LEGOs products. Moreover, the highly innovative Mindstorms NXT brand has product substitutions from competitors such as WowWee. LEGOs Resource-Based View Figure 3 In order for the author to further analyse the strategic capabilities of the company a Porters Five Forces model is implemented. It will reveal how the internal strategic capabilities of the company relate to the market context (Figure 4) (Porter, 1990). Risk of entry by Competitors Power of Suppliers Competitive Rivalry Power of Buyers Threat of Substitutes Porters Five Forces Figure 4 Deriving from Porters Five Forces model it can be concluded that LEGO is facing a number of strategic challenges. For example, the power of buyers is significantly high as the company needs to tailor product lines to specifically fit consumer segments needs and preferences. Although LEGO has greater power of external suppliers, the company still needs to develop solid collaboration with external partners within the supply-chain in order to increase operational efficiency and innovation (Robertson and Crawford, 2008; Afuah, 2003). In the context of new competitors penetrating the market, it can be suggested that the risk is comparatively higher than other industries. The toy industry does have any high barriers to entry as it does not require substantial investment and know-how to operate. This is the reason why, LEGO faces a number of substitution products form popular brands, such as: Playmobil; BRIO; ELC; Meccano Toys; Geomag; Hasbro; and Logiblocs (ToyShop UK, 2009). All these brands provide construction toys which use similar principles of build-to-play entertainment. However, it should be outlined that the company is facing other substitute toy products which are own-branded from popular names as Hamleys, ToysRUs and Disney (Doyoo, 2009). However, with respect to LEGOs new range of Mindstorms NXT product line the situation is different. There are very few competitors which can provide substitutes, such as WowWee (WowWee, 2009). This product line requires greater investment by companies to penetrate and is likely to increase production costs. This is the reason why. LEGO can develop and sustain advantage in the production of robotic products which are building by hardware and software. Moreover, the greatest competitor WowWee does not have such a diversified range of robotic products as LEGO but still WowWee provide robotic toys and technologies with greater functionality (WowWee, 2009). Business Opportunities and Challenges Based on the presented analysis, it can be concluded that LEGO can exploit a number of promising business opportunities. However, it should be also underlined that these opportunities hide substantial threat to the EBIT profitability of the organisation. In this context, one of the greatest business opportunities of LEGO is the companys focus on external professionals and enthusiasts in the product designing and engineering (Robertson and Crawford, 2008; Lego, 2009). On the one hand this results in influx of fresh idea and creativity due to the diverse range of participants but on the other hand it can result in a number of risks, such as: intellectual rights; outflow of knowledge; inability to fit external professionals to the organisational climate, etc. Another significant business opportunity which can be recognised is LEGOs development of the Mindstorms NXT product range through the use of external specialists and by involving consumers in a virtual collaborative platform (Robertson and Crawford, 2009). On the one hand, this is an emerging innovative market which has strong growth potential as it targets both young and adult segments. However, on the other hand, penetrating this market involves high amounts of investment and operational costs which may push profit margins down. Moreover, the greatest competitor of LEGO in the Mindstorms NXT range is WowWee which can be recognised to outperform LEGOs product by functionality, whereas LEGO is more focused on robotic entertainment (WowWee, 2009). This is the reason why, it can be suggested that WowWee is more likely to attract adult consumer segments and thus generate greater margins sales as adult consumers would be more willing to pay higher price for more functional products. Another challenge for LEGO, which can be directly produced by the product diversification of the company, is the negative impact this may have on LEGOs brand identity. As identified, the company has recognisable brand image and any drastic diversification may have negative impact on consumers perceptions (Robertson and Crawford, 2008). Moreover, LEGO is managing a wide range of product lines and there is not any identified synergetic relationship between them. This is not only challenging to LEGOs ability to optimise costs and enhance efficiency but has substantial impact on what actually the LEGO brands stand for. On the other hand, the numerous opportunities for new product development which LEGO can utilise can be proposed to increase supply-chain complexity. For example, the build-it-by-yourself service which LEGO provides to consumers to construct their own Mindstorms NXT robot may result in pressure within supply-chain operations and specifically inventory management. This virtual platform needs to be integrated with a highly sensitive back-end supply-chain system to indicate any changes in inventory levels. And this is a complex process that may predispose to errors and inefficiencies (Harrison and van Hoek, 2008). Finally, LEGO has the opportunity to continuously develop complementary products to increase profitability. The present case study identified the companys inability to successfully integrate complementary merchandise with the sale of its product lines and toy themes (Robertson and Crawford, 2008). This can be proposed to be a significant drawback as other market competitors provides diversified range of merchandise and other complementary accessories to enhance consumers experience and entertainment. Recommendations Based on the analysis of the external environment and strategic capabilities of LEGO, there are four strategic recommendations which can be made with respect to the companys segmentation strategy; supply-chain efficiency; financial profitability; and brand identity. 5.1 Segmentation LEGO needs to target new segments not only through demographic characteristics but also by identification of new consumer needs. For example, the company may focus on the adult segment by developing LEGO lines, such as LEGO Hobby (e.g. selling construction sets with innovative elements to be used for hobby purposes, such as: small models building of airplanes; ships; automobiles, etc). Moreover, the company may target professional segments such as architects to which components for models can be sold. In this respect, the present Lego Club can be diversified to fit the needs of adult consumers. An interesting theme in the Lego Club may be how parents can communicate with their children through Lego games. In other words, Lego can produce games to enhance parents-children communication and sharing of experience. Moreover, this is an opportunity for Lego to penetrate other family games markets and segments, and produce Lego games to compete with Monopoly, Scrabble, Pictionary, Cards, etc. Lego can also enhance customers loyalty through providing discounts existing customers who wish to return old Lego toys and purchase new ones. First, this would be an effective recycling strategy which Lego can adopt. Second, parents would have the incentive to return old toys but still continue purchasing new ones through discounting vouchers. Third, children would have the opportunity to play with all new Lego models throguh this discounting scheme, which will constantly promote their interest in the Lego brand. 5.2 Supply-chain efficiency The company has developed a Mindstorms NXT range which is a highly innovative and promising product line. However, LEGO should consider competitors threats seriously and thus develop supply-chain partnerships with organisations which have extensive experience in building electronic products. 5.3 Financial profitability Lego needs to focus on developing its merchandise range and complementary products to both enhance the entertainment experience and use additional source of profit. 5.4 Brand identity Lego should consider how the companys brand identity is changes with the introduction of new products. The company may focus on enhancing its corporate social responsibility by introducing product ranges with environmentally friendly components. This would not only have positive impact on the brand image of the company but is likely to target new segments (e.g. environmentally conscious consumers). In this respect, the company could focus on Green Marketing by donating some small amount of every purchase to environmental projects. Another interesting strategy for promoting the brand identity of the company may be also focused on socially responsible projects, such as donating a small amount of every purchase to the construction of hospitals, homes, schools and other public and private sector buildings in developing countries. In this context, the company can promote a campaign slogan, such as: Lego A Real World Constructor.

Divine Evil by Nora Roberts Essay

â€Å"Divine Evil† is an interesting novel about crime and romance, written by the popular American author Nora Roberts. She is one of the world’s most successful and best-loved novelists and has more than 201 million copies of her books in print. The book is about several murders that happened in a small town, called Emmitsboro and the people who were affected by them. In the beginning of the story, Clare Kimball, who was a sculptor, went back to her home-town Emmitsboro to rest from the big city and focus on her work. She hadn’t gone back there in years, due to her father’s suicide. She re-opened her father’s house to live in and started to get re-acquainted with the people from the town. She met Cameron Rafferty, who was the town’s sheriff. He was a smart and influential man. Cameron knew Clare from before – they used to be intimate friends in high-school. She seemed really different to him now, more mature and established as an artist. Clare was really his type – good-looking and well-off. Soon after Clare’s arrival, unpleasant things started happening in Emmitsboro. Carly Simon, a troubled fifteen-year old teenager, came up missing one evening. For months no one saw her , and her body wasn’t found. Almost at the same time another person was severely killed. His name was Biff Stokey, Cameron’s step-father. Cameron had lost his real father when he was ten years old. That was when his mother Jane remarried Biff Stokey. He was a loud and rough guy, who became a decent husband to Jane, but never really loved Cameron as his son. As Cameron grew older, him and Biff started being enemies. While investigating Biff’s murder, Cameron started to get involved with Clare emotionally and sexually. He met her assistant from New York, Angie LeBeau and her husband Jean-Paul. They had come to visit Clare for the weekend and check on her sculpting. Clare’s brother Blaire also came in town to visit his sister. All four of them were really concerned with Cameron’s investigation. The suspense in the book escalated when Clare almost crashed into a scared woman on the highway. Lisa was running away from two men in masks, who had chased her in the woods, after her car had broken down. Clare drove Lisa to the nearest hospital. After that she phone-called Cameron to report the crime. Soon after that the plot started unveiling itself. Cameron found a whole bunch of evidence in Biff’s basement that he used to be involved in something not legal. He found pictures of naked women, together with books on worshipping the devil. Similar type of satanic literature was found in Jack Kimball’s attic that no one in Clare’s family had destroyed for years. The investigation discovered the existence of a satanic cult in Emmitsboro. The cult consisted of men, who worshipped the devil. These man gathered late at night in the fields to chant and make human sacrifices. They were also allowed to rape women before they kill them. Biff Stokey was apparently one of their guys and they had sacrificed him.

Panera Bread Business Strategies Essay

â€Å"Thirty years ago, Ron Shaich set out to change the world by changing the way America eats. He’s done that with not one, but two successful restaurant brands. By co-founding Au Bon Pain, Co. Inc. and founding Pan-era Bread, Shaich shook up the industry by offering an antithesis to fast food – hand made, artisan food served in warm and welcoming environments by people you can trust. †(KANAI, 2012) This quote describes how Shaich and colleagues started to create their cafe bakery and change the way Americans eat. Pan-era was the first to come out with the calories on the menu board to ensure that Americans were aware of how healthy Pan-era was and the intention to re maim forthcoming about what was in the food we eat. Shaich and his colleagues did not follow the six step process they focused on the four areas food, setting, customers, and the workforce which made sense for capitalism. Shaich also thrived to make sure the customers and employees were well taken care of because they also played a big role in the success of Pan-era and lets not forget to acknowledge the community and their involvement in the success. Conscious Capitalism is an expression of how Shaich has found success in the restaurant industry if the whole society and corporate society would think of themselves as a corporation things would be better for everyone. Shaich is able to offer a word of advice if you were to get involved with conscious capitalism â€Å"Believe in yourself and why you got into it. Believe in those things that attracted you to the industry which makes a big difference in the lives of our guests. (ROMEO, 2012) For many years Pan-era has focused on the principal of conscious capitalism or what they like to call â€Å" enlightened -self interest† in two ways by delivering value to customers, vendors , employees, investors, and the community and to focus on a higher purpose above and beyond short term results. Meaning providing our customers with the artisan bread , delicious and nutritional food on a daily basis. Then Shaich and all his colleagues wanted to know how to challenge conscious capitalism and they figured out somethings that they are already doing like donating the day old bread to homeless.

P1 †Explain the Range of Meanings Attached to...

P1 – Explain the range of meanings attached to citizenship, diversity and the associated terminology Racism Racism is prejudice or discrimination directed against someone of a different race based on such a belief. An example of racism in the public services comes from a news report on channel 4 earlier this year. The report tells how there has 120 racism cases in the Metropolitan Police over the past decade, but only one officer was dismissed as a result. This shows that racism is common in the public services but is not necessarily dealt with as it should be. http://www.channel4.com/news/met-police-racism-figures-reveal-120-cases-one-dismissal Racist A racist is a person with a prejudiced belief that one race is superior to†¦show more content†¦http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/2011/04/14/multiculturalism-immigration-support-white-population/ Ethnocentricity Ethnocentricity is being centred on a specific ethnic group, usually ones own. An example of ethnocentricity in the public services is in training. Every public service member is taught to not let ethnocentric views affect their behaviour towards others. Currently there has been no media reporting’s of ethnocentricity within the UK public services. Sexism Sexism is prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex. An example of sexism in the public services is in the fire brigade. Many people refer to fire fighters as firemen even though there are women in the fire brigade. A report from The Guardian in April 2012 tells the true stories of female fire fighters battles to get recognition as they are in the most sex-segregated profession with only 4% of the entire workers being female. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/apr/16/issues-female-firefighters Heterosexist A heterosexist is someone that discriminates in favour of heterosexual and against homosexual people. An example of people showing heterosexist beliefs in the public services is how people associate men in The Royal Navy as being gay when in fact according to The Navy Times in 2010 there are around 66,000 homosexuals serving in military which make up just 2.2%.Show MoreRelatedHuman Resources Management150900 Words   |  604 Pagesmajor HR challenges currently facing organizations and managers. List and define each of the seven major categories of HR activities. Identify the three different roles of HR management. Discuss the three dimensions associated with HR management as a strategic business contributor. Explain why HR professionals and operating managers must view HR management as an interface. Discuss why ethical issues and professionalism affect HR management as a career field. ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  3 HR TRANSITIONS

One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest From a Marxist Perspective - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 5 Words: 1615 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2019/07/30 Category Literature Essay Level High school Topics: One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest Essay Did you like this example?   At first glance, a reader may wonder how Ken Keseys novel One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest, a book depicting a group of mentally unstable men and their boisterous Irish-American leader, connects with the economic and sociological view of Marxism. The novel, which takes place in an Oregon psychiatric hospital, centers around the conflict between manipulative Nurse Ratched and her patients. Randle McMurphy, a transfer from Pendleton Work Farm, becomes a champion for the mens cause as he sets out to overthrow the dictator-like nurse. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest From a Marxist Perspective" essay for you Create order Initially, the reader may doubt the economic implications of the novel. Yet, if one looks closer at the numerous textual references to power, production, and profit, he or she will begin to interpret Cuckoos Nest in a different light. Marxism was developed by German philosophers Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in the mid-nineteenth century. It holds that productive labor is essential for human survival, that producers dominate consumers, and that societies evolve through a series of conflicts between the ruling class (bourgeoisie) and the working class (proletariat). Marxists advocate a classless society in which wealth is distributed evenly among citizens (Bressler 192-3). Capital is not merely money, but money that that is used to make more money (Parker 213). Marxists detest the alienation of labor experienced by workers who exert exceptional amounts of energy in factories, yet never benefit entirely from their work (Parker 214). There are many examples within the text that illustrate the conflict between the ruling class (Nurse Ratched), middle class (Dr. Spivey, who is intimidated by Ratched), and working class (patients). The symbol of machinery as a means to mass-produce a standard product is also explored, as well as what†or whom†counts as machinery. By viewing One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest from a Marxist perspective, one will discover how Kesey uses his novel to make a statement about money, materialism, and mechanization in the twentieth century United States of America. The author skillfully uses plot, imagery, and character development to declare that individuals with mental disorders are more than machines that need to be fixed in order to be productive in society; they have value in and of themselves. Like Marxs proletariat, the patients in Cuckoos Nest are alienated, the result of their labor being directed and overseen by Ratched. The patients continually have a sense that someone is watching them because not only are they mentally ill, but Ratched actually insists they spy on one another and report any of their peers poor conduct. The narrator, Chief Bromden, relates how the doctor who works with Ratched urges: Talk . . . discuss, confess. And if you hear a friend say something . . . list it in the log book for the staff to see. Its not . . . squealing, its helping your fellow (Kesey 47). This helping your fellow creates a feeling of contempt and competition among the men, and competition is the antithesis of Marxism. This is just one of Ratcheds many abuses of power over the ward. Literary critics Roger C. Loeb and Irving Malin shed light on the way patients are used as laborers, or at least treated as such. Both critics clearly illustrate the divide between the patients and t he people in power within the facility. One of the first things the reader notices is that the hospital functions on a rigid schedule run by a rigid nurse who seems more machine than woman, or human being for that matter. She runs the ward like a smooth, accurate, precision-made machine (Kesey 26). The only thing feminine about her is her large breasts which she keeps hidden underneath her uniform. Malin writes that The Big Nurse is no longer a woman†she has become a Frankenstein monster. All of her gestures, commands, feelings, and possessions are mechanized (441). Even her voice has a tight whine like an electric saw (Kesey 138). Bromden describes her as a truck, who trails her nurses bag behind in her exhaust like a semi behind a Jimmy Diesel (Kesey 93). Loeb points out that the reason the nurse acts like a machine is because it enables her to control others (87-88). She determines who is released, who stays on the floor, and who is sent to the Disturbed floor. She even con trols time by adjusting the clocks on the wall, or at least it seems this way to Bromden, a schizophrenic, Shes given to turning up the speed . . . when you got somebody to visit you. . . . But generally its the other way, the slow way (Kesey 74-5). Another important way the nurse controls the inmates is by withholding gum, cigarettes, and television privileges from the men. This is characteristic of an economic system that distributes aid at its own leisure (Capitalism 222). It is also representative of how the upper-class denies the lower-class of wealth, status, leisure, and even the fruits of their labor. Consider poor factory laborers who work for extremely low pay to make fine clothes that they will never have a chance to wear themselves. When McMurphy attempts to change Ratcheds policy about television, he faces considerable opposition, and after McMurphy finally gains enough votes to have the World Series shown in the ward, Ratched insists that he does not have a majority because he has not accounted for the Chronics, patients with such severe mental illnesses that they are considered incapable of ever leaving the ward, in the total amount of patients (134). The Chronics cannot do much of anything, let alone vote to watc h a baseball game. Kesey seems to suggest that democratic voting holds little value even in a capitalist society built on the principle of individual freedom. Sadly, the patients watch a blank screen and pretend they are watching the game instead. Interestingly, the Chronics symbolize a separate class than the Acutes, patients considered capable of rehabilitation, whom Ratched also dominates. The Chronics are described as machines with flaws inside that cant be repaired (Kesey 51). Imagery such as shock treatments and brain operations carry Keseys message that society is becoming too preoccupied with fixing things and that people are not pieces of equipment that need to be fixed, but are thinking, feeling human beings whose illnesses need to be cured through warmth and compassion. He advocates that those with mental disorders have more to contribute to society than their own ailments, which secure health care providers such as Ratched a place in the workforce. Through McMurphys reha bilitation of Bromden, a Chronic, over the course of the novel, Kesey argues that the patients are more than the paychecks they provide hospital management; they are more than defective brains to be examined and probed. It is worth noting that the people who have the most power in the story are those that are educated, including the nurses, doctors, board members, and president of the hospital. The black boys, the male, African-American orderlies who serve Ratched, are portrayed as less intelligent and merely function as robots following orders. McMurphys ethnic, working class background also puts him in a position lower than that of the Big Nurse. This is a reflection of the hierarchy in real-world America. Kesey could be warning his readers about the danger of science and knowledge as he makes the characters with the best education powerful, but also cruel. The uneducated McMurphy is unlike the machinery-like Ratched in that he is uninhibited, rowdy, and emotional, while she is cold and calculating. The Irishman laughs at problems to keep his spirits up and prevent himself from becoming a body with no soul. At one point in the story, McMurphy takes the men out on a fishing trip where they are reju venated with nature, far away from the mechanical institution (238). While Ratched acts like a machine, she essentially functions as a manufacturer and symbol of the oppressive upper-class (Haslett 35). While McMurphy tries to bring about equality between the patients and head nurse, she holds onto her self-proclaimed right to exact power over her charges because of her money, education, and, ultimately, sanity. The patients represent the working-class by providing Ratched, the manufacturer, with the products from which she profits†their deranged minds. The patients can even be viewed as products themselves after shock therapy treatments and lobotomies leave them without personality. The negative effects of the hospitals organizational structure are numerous. The men feel worthless, abused, and manipulated, much like the proletariat who endured horrendous working conditions and rarely saw the fruits of their labor during the Industrial Revolution in the United Kingdom and United States in the late eighteenth century and early nineteenth century (Industrial Revolution 630). Perhaps the most conspicuous example of the hospital environments detrimental impact is Billy Bibbits suicide after Nurse Ratched threatens to tell his mother about his night with Candy, the prostitute McMurphy brings onto the ward (Kesey 302-304). While this event can be interpreted as merely a tragedy between a manipulative nurse and an overwrought patient, it can also be interpreted as a representation of the harm that can result from an economy that encourages certain groups of people to dominate others. By examining One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest from a Marxist perspective, the reader develops a sense of the underlying meanings beyond much of the imagery that fills the novel. Kesey makes a powerful statement about overproduction and overconsumption in 1960s America by depicting a group of mental patients whose function is to serve the hospital from which they should be receiving quality care from, a reflection of how the poor serve the rich. Through varying techniques, he expresses that there should be more equality between different classes and groups, and that there must be more value placed on the human than the machine. With any hope, society can learn something from Cuckoos destructive, yet equally hopeful outcome.

Strategic Analysis of the Uk Fast Food Industry - 2843 Words

Business and Management Strategy BAM6012 A Strategic and Competitive Analysis of the UK’s Fast Food Industry Executive Summary The food industry in the UK is a multi-billion pound industry that is mainly dominated by a few competitors such as McDonalds, Burger King, KFC and Subway. Most of the food sold in these fast food restaurants is unhealthy, which is becoming a huge concern as there are many people dying of obesity and other health related problems. This is one of the key social factors facing the fast food market at the moment. The fast food industry is a ‘red ocean’ as it is already well defined where rivalry is intense. It is also a perfectly competitive industry as the barriers to entry are low and there are many rivals†¦show more content†¦Fast Food Industry Profile: The United Kingdom’ 2012, Fast Food Industry Profile: United Kingdom, pg 1-35, Business Source Premier, EBSCO host, viewed [25/11/2012] PESTLE analysis â€Å"PESTLE analysis will help to capture understanding about aspects of the context by using the prompts political, economic, sociological, technological, legal and environmental. It is a technique that facilitates a wide scan of the context and actual or potential factors that would affect objectives if left unmanaged.† (Webster-Murray, R. 2010. pg.88) Political factors * There is an increasing amount of pressure from the government to encourage people to eat healthier as the number of deaths relating to obesity and an unhealthy lifestyle is on the increase year after year. * The government can allocate grants to business start-ups to try and promote fair competition within the marketplace. * There is speculation over the government introducing a new ‘fat tax’ on fast food served over a counter. This will add on another 20% to the current price in taxes. http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/may/16/fat-tax-unhealthy-food-effect Economic factors * Consumers will have less disposable income with the current economic climate and therefore may be less likely to spend money on fast food as it may be seen as a luxury. * Exchange rates may affect profitability on the business if they are sourcing materials (all the ingredients used toShow MoreRelatedCompetitive Rivalry : International Food Service Providers1005 Words   |  5 Pagesa. Competitive rivalry: Many international food service providers that provide their services to Caribbean, Africans and Asians and have their operations in the UK as well. Therefore, customers can quickly look for a substitute somewhere else, so we need to work hard both in our food presentations and customer services to win the loyalty of our clients (Porter’s Five Forces of Competitive Position Analysis, 2011-2015). 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Public Sphere Citizenship in the Age of Internet

Question: Discuss about thePublic Spherefor Citizenship in the Age of Internet. Answer: Introduction: Citizenship is a phenomenon that happens to be synonymous with the concept of statesmanship and national identities. Citizens of nations are formed with the help of certain very complex dynamics. Public opinion is one of the major elements that contributes to the formation of citizenship and is also a product of citizenship itself. Public opinion is something that is formed with the help of the popular media. In the earlier times before the advent of the internet, the newspapers were the most popular media through which current affairs did circulate amongst the citizens of the various nations and also helped in the formation of the identity of citizenship,. However with the advent of the internet and its related to phenomenon, the popularity of newspapers have undergone a major decline. This is a fact that is much evident from the slow decline in the rate of sale of the newspapers. In this discussion we shall examine the effects of internet and its related media on the way current affairs information are circulated amongst the people of the world and its impact on the phenomenon of citizenship(Papacharissi). Discussion: The media has undergone a huge change with the advent of the finer quality technology. In this context we see that more refine technology in the field of journalism has added a new edge to the profession. In the current times we see that with the help of technology the grasp and the clutches of journalism has become all the more far reaching. The quality and the genera of news happen to be far stretched. In addition to the same we see that the reach of journalism has also undergone a massive change and has expounded in a terrific manner. This can be attributed just due to the elevated level of technology that is involved in the distribution of news. The advent of the internet and its allied channels has led to news and journalism becoming all the more far reaching. It can be said without a doubt that just as the advent and the arrival of the internet and the web pages most have affected the sale rate and the easiness of the newspapers, it has also revolutionised the whole picture o c urrent affairs. News ion the present era is facility that is juts a click away from the readers. Again people no longer need to buy extra newspapers to get the updated news. It is available over the internet and can be very easily accessed over the mobile phones(Dahlgren). The quality of the media has also undergone massive change. In the earlier times the genres that were touched by the media were very restricted. This has undergone a massive transformation in the current times. The readers now can take look at various types of news and events that is occurring in the most distant parts of the world. In addition we see that news in the current times happens to be all the more extensive. Different topics are included within the realm of news. On one hand id we get a glimpse into the political current affairs, side by side we also get a good insight into the fashion trends that are continuing in the various parts of the world. Once again we see that cinema again has attained a global character, where interests are no longer restrained to only national subjects. Cross over films is a very common thing in the current times. The various topics that are being included into media are quite overwhelming. This is in fact one of the major catalysts that is help ing in the formation of the public opinion. In fact the current character of the modern citizens is greatly due to the influence of the media(Loader). Summation: A final summation of the discussion shall re veal the fact that the media in the current times do create a huge impact and influence on the global citizens. The global citizens are acquiring their character from the influences of the media. In alignment to which we find that technology has provided a huge boost to the phenomenon of media and that media has really transformed its dimensions in the current era. Thanks to the redefined reach of modern technology. The internet has truly helped in the process. It is through the services of the internet that news has become a far reaching phenomenon that can touch over different elements of the global society. The common man is more engaged in the whole process. References: Dahlgren, Peter. The Internet, Public Spheres, and Political Communication: Dispersion and Deliberation; https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/10584600590933160. Political Communication 22 (2005): 147-162. Loader, Brian D. A Transnational Public Sphere for a Digital Generation? 15 August 2014. 1 November 2016 https://www.e-ir.info/2014/08/15/a-transnational-public-sphere-for-a-digital-generation/. Papacharissi, Zizi. The Virtual Sphere 2.0: The Internet, the Public Sphere and beyond . 2008. 1 November 2016 https://www.ciberdemocracia.net/victorsampedro/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Papacharissi-The-Virtual-Sphere-Revisited-Handbook.pdf.