Role Of Queen In Beowulf Grendel (1481 words) Essay Example For Students

Job Of Queen In Beowulf Grendel (1481 words) Essay Job of Queen in Beowulf GrendelIn the two writings, Beowulf and Grendel, the principle reason for the Queens are to serve the courts as weavers of harmony. In Grendel in any case, Queen Wealththeow is portrayed in a lot more prominent detail and fills a further need. The peruser gains understanding to a section Grendel that is absent in Beowulf, his craving for a human. It was not abnormal for ladies to be offered as tokens of harmony inside the honorable courts. In the novel Grendel, Wealhtheows sibling, King of the Helmings, offered her to King Hrothgar to advance harmony among the Helmings and Scyldings. She had given, her life for those she cherished. So would any giggling, eyelash batting female in her court, given the best possible arrangement, the insignificant conditions(Grendel, p.102). It is unexpected how she advanced harmony from her appearance since she was a basic part in keeping harmony, as the weaver of harmony in the later of the two writings. Sovereign Wealhtheow an yway isn't the main lady in the writings that was neglected to support conciliation among fighting courts. Sovereign Hygd was offered to Hygelac under fundamentally the same as conditions as told in Beowulf, and depicted a similar job in Hygelacs realm. There is reference in the two writings concerning this convention, and it is apparent to the peruser this isn't an uncommon Anglo-Saxon custom. Sovereign Wealhtheow and Queen Hygd filled in as magnificent good examples for the courts in which they served. They exemplified the characteristics and manners of the respectable individuals. Sovereign Wealhtheow demonstrated great balance from the earliest starting point of the two writings. She was praiseworthy as she passed the mead bowl around Heorot. The contribution of the bowl was representative, being that the bowl was first given to Hrothgar and afterward went to Beowulf, as though she gave him her trust. Beowulf gave Wealhtheow his assurance that he would be effective or bite the d ust in fight. After she gave Hrothgar and Beowulf the mead bowl she served the Scyldings, and did as such as though they were her own kin. She was not a Scylding, nor did she want to be one, however shenever made her despondency known, as depicted in Grendel. There isn't incredible detail on Queen Hygd in Grendel, yet from what the peruser can assemble from Beowulf, she is as a very remarkable female good example as Queen Wealhtheow. She was youthful however savvy. Actually King Hygelac felt threatened by Hygds insight. Sovereign Hygd was not at all like Wealhtheow in the manner by which she didn't uncovered numerous endowments. Hygd was increasingly worried about the fate of the individuals of her realm succeeding Hygelacs demise than Wealhtheow. Hygd offered Beowulf the realm since she trusted it was to the greatest advantage of thepeople, she adored the warriors and wished harmony among all the individuals. Wealtheow then again felt that the realm ought to be protected for her ch ildren. Wealhtheow talked after the quarrel at Finnsburg over the significance of her children assuming control over the realm in the sonnet Beowulf, and this helps Hrothgar to remember his age. This equivalent discourse influenced Hrothgar in the two writings. It constrained him to mull over his value of Wealhtheow. He understood that she was youthful and delightful, and need not be with an elderly person. Which exacerbated his distress even is the way that she realized this also. Sovereign Wealhtheow set up a superb camouflage when concealing the agony she encountered from being compelled to be Hrothgars spouse. Not at all like in Beowulf, in Grendel the peruser was given knowledge into Wealhtheows distress. The main time she would show her despondency was the point at which she would lie in bed around evening time with Hrothgar with her eyes brimming with tears. Some of the time she would leave the realm to stay in her distresses however she would be promptly encircled by watches, and accompanied inside. Wealhtheow was pining to go home, she missed her property, and her sibling. At the point when her sibling visited Heorot she gave no consideration to Hrothgar, andHrothgar satisfied going around the mead bowl. In Grendel, it recounted Hrothgars love for wealhtheow. He would regularly gaze at her in profound respect. In spite of her hatred she rewarded Hrothgar with much regard, she generally gazed toward him and alluded to him as my master. .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e , .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e .postImageUrl , .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e .focused content region { min-tallness: 80px; position: relative; } .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e , .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e:hover , .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e:visited , .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e:active { border:0!important; } .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e .clearfix:after { content: ; show: table; clear: both; } .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e { show: square; progress: foundation shading 250ms; webkit-change: foundation shading 250ms; width: 100%; haziness: 1; change: darkness 250ms; webkit-change: murkiness 250ms; foundation shading: #95A5A6; } .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e:active , .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e:hover { mistiness: 1; progress: obscurity 250ms; webkit-progress: darkness 250ms; foundation shading: #2C3E50; } .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e .focused content zone { width: 100%; position: relative; } .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e .ctaText { fringe base: 0 strong #fff; shading: #2980B9; text dimension: 16px; textual style weight: intense; edge: 0; cushioning: 0; text-enhancement: underline; } .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e .postTitle { shading: #FFFFFF; text dimension: 16px; textual style weight: 600; edge: 0; cushioning: 0; width: 100%; } .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e .ctaButton { foundation shading: #7F8C8D!important; shading: #2980B9; outskirt: none; outskirt sweep: 3px; box-shadow: none; text dimension: 14px; text style weight: striking; line-stature: 26px; moz-outskirt range: 3px; text-adjust: focus; text-design: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-stature: 80px; foundation: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/modules/intelly-related-posts/resources/pictures/straightforward arrow.png)no-rehash; position: supreme; right: 0; top: 0; } .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e:hover .ctaButton { foundation shading: #34495E!important; } .u2583ffab732622f997f3 49623d293c4e .focused content { show: table; tallness: 80px; cushioning left: 18px; top: 0; } .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e-content { show: table-cell; edge: 0; cushioning: 0; cushioning right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-adjust: center; width: 100%; } .u2583ffab732622f997f349623d293c4e:after { content: ; show: square; clear: both; } READ: Paper theme on Invisible Man EssayAlthough Wealhtheow has a lot of hatred towards serving the Danes, she puts all that close to her and satisfied her obligations as anpraiseworthy sovereign. In Grendel it told how she interfered with tipsy men in the mead lobby, as though she was their mom. Her mediation helped them to remember their duties toward the realm. Her quality brought light and warmth, men started talking, kidding and giggling, the two Danes and Geats together(Grendel, p.163). She made a positive inclination all through the realm. In her essence the Shaper vocalized on a positive note about solace and bliss. Wealhtheow offer ed Beowulf guidance regarding appropriate manners , how to address the Geats with mellow words. She prompted him to ensure he shared his endowments. Afterall that was a standard by which she lived. Before Beowulf left the Danes, Queen Wealhtheow gave Beowulf a valuable neckline , the Brosing accessory, in thankfulness for his obligation. She gave him the blessings with the goal that he could make known what his identity was, to be glad for his achievements. She wished him the good luck and solicited him to take care from her children. There was a lot of spotlight on Queen Wealhtheows external magnificence in the novel Grendel. It really expounded than in the sonnet, Beowulf. From Wealhtheows entrance into the novel, the peruser was told in incredible detail of her physical excellence. Beowulf essentially centered around her internal excellence. She was depicted as having hair red as fire, as delicate as the rosy sheen on winged serpents gold. Her face was delicate, bafflingly quiet (Grendel p.100). This mix made her a truly alluring lady. So alluring that Unferth was pulled in to her. Unferth played with Wealhtheow regularly in Grendel. At the point when she would offer him the mead he would look at her and look down and grin. Unferth felt humiliation after he said something about men executing their siblings while they were flushed. Not many individuals in Heorot found the remark comical, the sovereign was found napping. He regarded the sovereign, as did each one all through the realm. He was mortified at what he had stated, he felt lament and derision by his mix-up and looked at the sovereign without turning away. Being the benevolent individual that she was she excused him, and he was comforted. The desire for Wealhtheow didn't stop with Unferth. Maybe the most huge contrast in the two writings is that in Grendel,the beast, was pulled in to Wealhtheow. There is no proposal in Beowulf that Grendel groups any emotions toward the people. This longing for Wealhtheow gives the peruser better knowledge into Grendels character. Up until this point the peruser was given no indication that Grendel had anything with the exception of contempt toward mankind. Grendel was contacted the first occasion when he saw Wealhtheow, he was struck by her blamelessness and magnificence. He needed to wail at seeing her; the peruser had never been acquainted with this delicate side of the beast. The peruser wasnt the one in particular who had an issue understanding Grendels sentiments, Grendel couldnt comprehend them either. He was tormented by the red of her hair and the arrangement of her jawline and the white of her shoulders. There is certainly a sexual hint in Grendels want for Wealththeow. Upon his assault of her he tore her up by her feet as though he was going to part her into equal parts. He needed to execute her yet he was torn by his inclination for her, all the torment he needed to deliver was sexual. He needed to cook the appalling gap between her legs, and press out her defecation with his clench hands. His thought process in executing her w

Mohandas Gandhi essays

Mohandas Gandhi articles Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was conceived on October 2, 1869. He was conceived in Porbandar, which is a little, ocean side town in the Kathiawar Peninsula in western India. Its somewhere between Bombay and Karachi. He was the fourth youngster conceived of Karamchand who was the main priest of Porbandar (Green, 13). His mom, Putlibai, was Karamchands fourth spouse, and she was just thirteen when they got hitched. She was known as an unskilled, Hindu young lady (Fischer, 13). The family was off with numerous homes, gold, and attendants. Notwithstanding, that didn't have any effect in transit Gandhi felt about his tutoring. He thought that it was exceptionally unappealing and to some degree hard to learn. Gandhi says this regarding himself: I am a normal man with not exactly a normal capacity. I concede that I am not sharp mentally. Be that as it may, I dont mind. There is a breaking point to the advancement of the mind however none to that of the heart (Gardner, 313). He was into smokin g when he was twelve and taking cash simultaneously to get them. Today we would consider Gandhi a revolutionary child. At long last, some genuine issues got this childs consideration. It was the ideal opportunity for marriage at the period of just thirteen. The lady of the hour was thirteen additionally, with the name of Kasturbai. Their folks made the match yet didnt advise the youngsters until the plans were all finished (Green, 39). From the history we can tell the Gandhi was never truly anything to take a gander at, in any case, his better half Kasturbai was strikingly excellent. In spite of how lovely she was, that didnt prevent Gandhi from leaving her various occasions all through his life. He left her in 1888, soon after she had his first child, Harilal. On September 4, barely shy of his nineteenth birthday celebration, Mohandas made a beeline for Southampton (Green, 45). He was occupied with what we later called, getting oneself. Gandhi showed up in London on October 28, 1888. He was distinguished in England as a vegan and a... <!

Key Activities Block in Business Model Canvas

Key Activities Block in Business Model Canvas KEY ACTIVITIESAs the title suggests, these are the most important tasks a company must carry out in order to fulfill its business purpose. To be successful, a company must carry out key actions that are primarily dictated by its business model. As we studied with the key resources building block, key activities are similarly pivotal in an organization fulfilling its value proposition, reaching its customer segments, sustain its customer relationships and ultimately create long-term revenue streams. Key activities are different according to the business model of the organization carrying out the activity. Hence, an organization that relies heavily on its 3rd party contracts will list channel management as a key activity. A product-driven business will lend more significance to activities such as continuous research to understand their users better as well as constant innovation in technology.Hence, it is safe to assume that a key activity for software giant Microsoft is Software Devel opment; similarly, for computer manufacturer Dell, supply chain management may be a key activity, and a consulting business like McKinsey probably lists solving client problems as its key activity.QUESTIONS TO CONSIDERWhen evaluating your business through the Key Activities building block it is essential that you take a holistic view of the business and evaluate related building blocks as well, to understand how they will contribute to your key activities.Based on our value propositions, what kinds of activities are key to our business?What kinds of activities are key to our distribution channels?What kinds of activities are important if we want to maintain our customer relationships?What kinds of activities are fundamental to our revenue streams?Our Value Propositions will obviously have the most profound impact on the kind of activities we carry out. However, as the business flourishes, we may begin to include unnecessary activities within this block as well. To prevent this, we u se a method called the Minimum Viable Product or MVP, which is the most basic version of your product made through a single cycle of the build, measure and learn loop. Most entrepreneurs will resist the Minimum Viable Product because everyone believes that for a product to be a success, it must provide maximum value to its customers. This brings us back to the Customer Segment and Value Proposition building blocks where we learnt that we have to be selective about the customers we target and the kind of value we provide by relieving their pains and giving them gains. Creating a bloated product with tons of extra feature that are of no value to your customer but which add to his investment, is not the way to go. A product is a combination of its form and function, function being what it does and form detailing how it does it. This form is crucial to the customer experience and helps in determining the key activities. Similarly, the kind of customer relationship you want establish wil l also entail certain key activities to bring it about and so on.TYPICAL ACTIVITIESAs mentioned earlier the Key activities building block creates a bridge between your value propositions and the customer segments’ needs. Some typical key activities that are commonly practiced by most organizations are listed below;Research DevelopmentThe research and development department is required to liaise with all other functions of the company whether it be production, marketing or sales. The typical functions of a research department are mentioned below;New Product Research: Before a new product can be produced, it must first go through the research and development department which will explore what the design of the product should be, the expected production costs and how long it will take to produce sufficient amounts of the product. RD also looks into how much customers want or need the product.New Product Development: the research phase naturally leads to the product being developed d ue to the results achieved from the research phase.Existing Product Updates: RD must also look into existing products to see if they require an upgrade based on evolving consumer needs or new entrants into the product category in the market. These changes can additionally be attributed to product glitches that need resolving.Quality Checks: Companies can ask their RD departments to conduct quality checks or they may require the department to collaborate with the Quality Assurance team since they are well versed in the specifications of the product and are ideal for evaluating whether all products are up to the quality standards set by the company.Innovation: The RD team is also responsible for keeping an eye on innovations and new trends within the industry and ensuring that their product stays abreast of these trends.ProductionProduction management consists of a number of activities which are outlined below;Selection of product and design: the first step is to select the right prod uct and the right design for the product. This is a crucial decision because the combination of the right product (Value Proposition) and the right design (Key Activities)will dictate the success or the failure of the company. Value engineering and value analysis are parts of this activity.Selection of Production Process: this stage consists of deciding what production process the organization will be using including the right technology, machines, inventory management system, etc.Selecting Right Production Capacity: The production management must have full knowledge of the expected demand for the product and set the production capacity accordingly, since either a dearth or a surplus of the product may lead to problems for the company. Break-even analysis is the most popular tool used by production managers to predict capacity.Production Planning: The production manager must decide on the routing and scheduling of the product. Routing is aimed at creating a smooth flow of work by di scovering the easiest and most economical flow of work. Scheduling, on the other hand, refers to the timing of activities by mentioning a start and end time for each.Production Control: The production manager is also responsible for monitoring and controlling the production process. This is done by comparing planned production with actual production, exploring deviations if any and ultimately correcting these deviations to meet planned production.Quality and Cost Control: In today’s economically driven world, consumers won’t the maximum quality for the cheapest price and access to the internet and a world of options make them more discerning and fickle. Hence, it falls on the production manager to not only ensure that he is continuously improving the quality of the product but also to reduce costs so their product can remain competitive in the market in terms of price.Inventory Control: Inventory Control is fundamental to a production driven business because it prevents overstoc king or understocking. Overstocking means the company will be spending more money on materials that will ultimately go to waste. Understocking will effect production and result in late deliveries.Maintenance and Replacement of Machines: The production manager must be on top of the condition of the machines under his function by constantly monitoring them and scheduling regular maintenance like oiling, replacing worn parts, cleaning, etc. This function ensures that there are no unexpected breaks in production.MarketingThe Marketing department is responsible for the growth of the company by getting word of the company’s existence and the value it provides to its customers. The functions of the marketing department are explained below;Strategy: The senior members of the marketing team are responsible for drafting and getting approval of a marketing strategy for the company, based on its overall goals and missions before cascading this strategy throughout the department and creating g oals based on it.Market Research: The Marketing department must have full knowledge of the market the company is operating in including the strengths and weaknesses of the product according to the customer, potential competitors in the market to whom the company may lose market share or weaker competitors from whom company can get market share.Product Development: The marketing team works in conjunction with the product development team constantly. This is done by identifying possible gap areas in the market for which the company can develop a product to address an unmet need. They are the ones with their fingers on the customer pulse and are a source of insight into consumer needs and feelings. Once the product is developed, the marketing team is also involved in pricing the product.Communications: The marketing team is responsible for all communication to go out in the market regarding the product. The nature of this communication varies from press releases to online product revie ws, advertisements, e-mails, etc.Sales Support: Marketing also works closely with the Sales team by providing them with customer leads, as well as promotional materials for potential customers.Events: Marketing is also responsible for organizing and executing events such as seminars, product launches, exhibitions, etc. they will typically call key or prospective customers to such events as well.Sales Customer ServicesSales and customer service play a key role in the purchase and post purchase behavior and experience of your customer. This department is key to ensuring that you build a cadre of repeat customers who will become your advocates in the market and drive more business in through word of mouth. Conversely, these customers can also be extremely vocal if they have suffered a bad customer experience with you and can just as easily drive business away. Hence, one of the most crucial weapons in your arsenal is your sales and customer services team. They fulfill the following re sponsibilities on behalf of your company;Handling Problems: Customer service representatives generally spring into action when customers call in with complaints. The breadth of their authority is dependant on company policy but their core task is to ensure that when an irate customer calls, they do everything, within the scope of their job description, to leave him happy or satisfied when he hangs up. Some customer representatives are empowered to solve the problem on the spot by providing a replacement or returning the money. Others may act as gatekeepers who take information and then route it to the relevant departments.Assisting in Sales: Customer representatives are also depended upon to help increase the sales of the organization. They may do this by educating customers on the value propositions the product offers. Others may use upselling by telling customers who call in to upgrade their services for improved quality.Clerical Tasks: some companies may include administrative an d clerical tasks within the ambit of the role of the customer services representative. So representatives may be routing calls to relevant support departments, maintaining a record of customer accounts including new customers and recording any changes that may occur in these accounts.Job Specific Responsibilities: though the general spirit of the role remains the same, the details may vary according to the organizational context and industrial realities facing the organization. Hence a customer services representative at an FMCG company may be responsible for a big account like Metro. A customer representative at a bank may also be doing some duties that a bank teller typically does such as counting money, etc.CATEGORIES FOR KEY ACTIVITIESProductionThese activities are generally a characteristic of manufacturing firms and entail the design, creation and delivery of significant quantities of the product.For a company that manufactures and sells pantyhose, typical value propositions a re listed below;This pantyhose lasts longer and, therefore, saves consumers the money they would spend on frequent replacements.It provides resistance, so feet don’t slip in heels.The product is machine washable.Easy to store packaging.The Key activities would then be;Control of production and manufacturing;Manage website, online orders and the distribution of the product;Create a branding strategy;Marketing and promotion of the product;Product and packaging design.Problem-solvingSome consumers or customers have chronic problems. Organizations that list problem-solving as a main activity are usually aiming to find unique solutions to these individual problems. Consultancies, hospitals, and most service organizations typically are trying to solve customer problems uniquely. These organizations are characterized by lots of knowledge management and a focus on continuous learning.Jiffy Lube is a chain of over 200 businesses in North America which offers oil change and other automotive services to its clientele. Hence, it is a service firm that aims to provide a solution to a recurring problem its target customers may have. Jiffy’s value propositions are:Keep cars healthy;Keep clothes clean and garages tidy;Save customers’ time and help them avoid the hassle of their cars breaking down.Based on these, the key activities performed at Jiffy can be as follows;Change the oil of cars;Perform other maintenance work;Promote their services to customers through upselling and other marketing activities.Such organizations will have detailed records on repair work done on the automobiles of their repeat customers and will be able to handle the car with full knowledge of its history, much like a doctor with a regular patient.Platform/ networkA business model where the platform is a key resource usually has platform or network-related key activities. Networks, brands, and software can all be a part of a platform or network-related business.Agile Enterprise Architecture or AEA offers its services to companies experiencing a surge of work or a cascade of models that need to be done within a limited amount of time. The company’s value propositions are as follows;Low-cost architecture modeling;Agile and available when needed by customers;In the cloud;Its environmentally friendly especially if the client company is willing to forego travel;Efficient and effective;Involves minimal risk.Based on these the key activities for this organization are;Cloud-based architectural modeling as a service;Cloud-based enterprise architecture software as a service;Frequent health checks for the architecture to make sure it remains robust with changing environment.CASE STUDY LINKEDIN © Entrepreneurial Insights based on the concept of Alex OsterwalderIn this article, we will look at the “Key Activities” block in the Business Model Canvas. We will cover, 1) an introduction to key activities, 2) questions to consider, 3) typical activities, 4) categories for key activities, and 5) a case study on LinkedIn.KEY ACTIVITIESAs the title suggests, these are the most important tasks a company must carry out in order to fulfill its business purpose. To be successful, a company must carry out key actions that are primarily dictated by its business model. As we studied with the key resources building block, key activities are similarly pivotal in an organization fulfilling its value proposition, reaching its customer segments, sustain its customer relationships and ultimately create long-term revenue streams. Key activities are different according to the business model of the organization carrying out the activity. Hence, an organization that relies heavily on its 3rd pa rty contracts will list channel management as a key activity. A product-driven business will lend more significance to activities such as continuous research to understand their users better as well as constant innovation in technology.Hence, it is safe to assume that a key activity for software giant Microsoft is Software Development; similarly, for computer manufacturer Dell, supply chain management may be a key activity, and a consulting business like McKinsey probably lists solving client problems as its key activity.QUESTIONS TO CONSIDERWhen evaluating your business through the Key Activities building block it is essential that you take a holistic view of the business and evaluate related building blocks as well, to understand how they will contribute to your key activities.Based on our value propositions, what kinds of activities are key to our business?What kinds of activities are key to our distribution channels?What kinds of activities are important if we want to maintain o ur customer relationships?What kinds of activities are fundamental to our revenue streams?Our Value Propositions will obviously have the most profound impact on the kind of activities we carry out. However, as the business flourishes, we may begin to include unnecessary activities within this block as well. To prevent this, we use a method called the Minimum Viable Product or MVP, which is the most basic version of your product made through a single cycle of the build, measure and learn loop. Most entrepreneurs will resist the Minimum Viable Product because everyone believes that for a product to be a success, it must provide maximum value to its customers. This brings us back to the Customer Segment and Value Proposition building blocks where we learnt that we have to be selective about the customers we target and the kind of value we provide by relieving their pains and giving them gains. Creating a bloated product with tons of extra feature that are of no value to your customer b ut which add to his investment, is not the way to go. A product is a combination of its form and function, function being what it does and form detailing how it does it. This form is crucial to the customer experience and helps in determining the key activities. Similarly, the kind of customer relationship you want establish will also entail certain key activities to bring it about and so on.TYPICAL ACTIVITIESAs mentioned earlier the Key activities building block creates a bridge between your value propositions and the customer segments’ needs. Some typical key activities that are commonly practiced by most organizations are listed below;Research DevelopmentThe research and development department is required to liaise with all other functions of the company whether it be production, marketing or sales. The typical functions of a research department are mentioned below;New Product Research: Before a new product can be produced, it must first go through the research and development department which will explore what the design of the product should be, the expected production costs and how long it will take to produce sufficient amounts of the product. RD also looks into how much customers want or need the product.New Product Development: the research phase naturally leads to the product being developed due to the results achieved from the research phase.Existing Product Updates: RD must also look into existing products to see if they require an upgrade based on evolving consumer needs or new entrants into the product category in the market. These changes can additionally be attributed to product glitches that need resolving.Quality Checks: Companies can ask their RD departments to conduct quality checks or they may require the department to collaborate with the Quality Assurance team since they are well versed in the specifications of the product and are ideal for evaluating whether all products are up to the quality standards set by the company.Innovation: The RD team is also responsible for keeping an eye on innovations and new trends within the industry and ensuring that their product stays abreast of these trends.ProductionProduction management consists of a number of activities which are outlined below;Selection of product and design: the first step is to select the right product and the right design for the product. This is a crucial decision because the combination of the right product (Value Proposition) and the right design (Key Activities)will dictate the success or the failure of the company. Value engineering and value analysis are parts of this activity.Selection of Production Process: this stage consists of deciding what production process the organization will be using including the right technology, machines, inventory management system, etc.Selecting Right Production Capacity: The production management must have full knowledge of the expected demand for the product and set the production capacity accordingly, since eit her a dearth or a surplus of the product may lead to problems for the company. Break-even analysis is the most popular tool used by production managers to predict capacity.Production Planning: The production manager must decide on the routing and scheduling of the product. Routing is aimed at creating a smooth flow of work by discovering the easiest and most economical flow of work. Scheduling, on the other hand, refers to the timing of activities by mentioning a start and end time for each.Production Control: The production manager is also responsible for monitoring and controlling the production process. This is done by comparing planned production with actual production, exploring deviations if any and ultimately correcting these deviations to meet planned production.Quality and Cost Control: In today’s economically driven world, consumers won’t the maximum quality for the cheapest price and access to the internet and a world of options make them more discerning and fickle. H ence, it falls on the production manager to not only ensure that he is continuously improving the quality of the product but also to reduce costs so their product can remain competitive in the market in terms of price.Inventory Control: Inventory Control is fundamental to a production driven business because it prevents overstocking or understocking. Overstocking means the company will be spending more money on materials that will ultimately go to waste. Understocking will effect production and result in late deliveries.Maintenance and Replacement of Machines: The production manager must be on top of the condition of the machines under his function by constantly monitoring them and scheduling regular maintenance like oiling, replacing worn parts, cleaning, etc. This function ensures that there are no unexpected breaks in production.MarketingThe Marketing department is responsible for the growth of the company by getting word of the company’s existence and the value it provides to its customers. The functions of the marketing department are explained below;Strategy: The senior members of the marketing team are responsible for drafting and getting approval of a marketing strategy for the company, based on its overall goals and missions before cascading this strategy throughout the department and creating goals based on it.Market Research: The Marketing department must have full knowledge of the market the company is operating in including the strengths and weaknesses of the product according to the customer, potential competitors in the market to whom the company may lose market share or weaker competitors from whom company can get market share.Product Development: The marketing team works in conjunction with the product development team constantly. This is done by identifying possible gap areas in the market for which the company can develop a product to address an unmet need. They are the ones with their fingers on the customer pulse and are a source of insi ght into consumer needs and feelings. Once the product is developed, the marketing team is also involved in pricing the product.Communications: The marketing team is responsible for all communication to go out in the market regarding the product. The nature of this communication varies from press releases to online product reviews, advertisements, e-mails, etc.Sales Support: Marketing also works closely with the Sales team by providing them with customer leads, as well as promotional materials for potential customers.Events: Marketing is also responsible for organizing and executing events such as seminars, product launches, exhibitions, etc. they will typically call key or prospective customers to such events as well.Sales Customer ServicesSales and customer service play a key role in the purchase and post purchase behavior and experience of your customer. This department is key to ensuring that you build a cadre of repeat customers who will become your advocates in the market and drive more business in through word of mouth. Conversely, these customers can also be extremely vocal if they have suffered a bad customer experience with you and can just as easily drive business away. Hence, one of the most crucial weapons in your arsenal is your sales and customer services team. They fulfill the following responsibilities on behalf of your company;Handling Problems: Customer service representatives generally spring into action when customers call in with complaints. The breadth of their authority is dependant on company policy but their core task is to ensure that when an irate customer calls, they do everything, within the scope of their job description, to leave him happy or satisfied when he hangs up. Some customer representatives are empowered to solve the problem on the spot by providing a replacement or returning the money. Others may act as gatekeepers who take information and then route it to the relevant departments.Assisting in Sales: Customer represen tatives are also depended upon to help increase the sales of the organization. They may do this by educating customers on the value propositions the product offers. Others may use upselling by telling customers who call in to upgrade their services for improved quality.Clerical Tasks: some companies may include administrative and clerical tasks within the ambit of the role of the customer services representative. So representatives may be routing calls to relevant support departments, maintaining a record of customer accounts including new customers and recording any changes that may occur in these accounts.Job Specific Responsibilities: though the general spirit of the role remains the same, the details may vary according to the organizational context and industrial realities facing the organization. Hence a customer services representative at an FMCG company may be responsible for a big account like Metro. A customer representative at a bank may also be doing some duties that a ba nk teller typically does such as counting money, etc.CATEGORIES FOR KEY ACTIVITIESProductionThese activities are generally a characteristic of manufacturing firms and entail the design, creation and delivery of significant quantities of the product.For a company that manufactures and sells pantyhose, typical value propositions are listed below;This pantyhose lasts longer and, therefore, saves consumers the money they would spend on frequent replacements.It provides resistance, so feet don’t slip in heels.The product is machine washable.Easy to store packaging.The Key activities would then be;Control of production and manufacturing;Manage website, online orders and the distribution of the product;Create a branding strategy;Marketing and promotion of the product;Product and packaging design.Problem-solvingSome consumers or customers have chronic problems. Organizations that list problem-solving as a main activity are usually aiming to find unique solutions to these individual proble ms. Consultancies, hospitals, and most service organizations typically are trying to solve customer problems uniquely. These organizations are characterized by lots of knowledge management and a focus on continuous learning.Jiffy Lube is a chain of over 200 businesses in North America which offers oil change and other automotive services to its clientele. Hence, it is a service firm that aims to provide a solution to a recurring problem its target customers may have. Jiffy’s value propositions are:Keep cars healthy;Keep clothes clean and garages tidy;Save customers’ time and help them avoid the hassle of their cars breaking down.Based on these, the key activities performed at Jiffy can be as follows;Change the oil of cars;Perform other maintenance work;Promote their services to customers through upselling and other marketing activities.Such organizations will have detailed records on repair work done on the automobiles of their repeat customers and will be able to handle the car with full knowledge of its history, much like a doctor with a regular patient.Platform/ networkA business model where the platform is a key resource usually has platform or network-related key activities. Networks, brands, and software can all be a part of a platform or network-related business.Agile Enterprise Architecture or AEA offers its services to companies experiencing a surge of work or a cascade of models that need to be done within a limited amount of time. The company’s value propositions are as follows;Low-cost architecture modeling;Agile and available when needed by customers;In the cloud;Its environmentally friendly especially if the client company is willing to forego travel;Efficient and effective;Involves minimal risk.Based on these the key activities for this organization are;Cloud-based architectural modeling as a service;Cloud-based enterprise architecture software as a service;Frequent health checks for the architecture to make sure it remains robust with cha nging environment.CASE STUDY LINKEDINLinkedIn is one of the world’s premier business networking websites. The value propositions it provides to its customers are as follows;Manage professional profile and build a robust professional network;Target and reach the right talent;Communicated with the right audience;Access to LinkedIn database though API’s and widgets.As you can see LinkedIn is a platform/ network based company characterized by a high focus on providing sharing capabilities to its customers. The Key activities performed at LinkedIn would then be;Platform DevelopmentHence, LinkedIn spends a majority of its budget and time in ensuring that its platform remains scalable and usable as the consumer base grows rapidly.

Martin Luther And The Eighty Five Theses On The Power And...

Pearl Wong English 11 Period 2 05.18.16 Martin Luther and the Ninety-Five Theses The Ninety-five Theses on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences came about as the result of a single controversy in the Catholic Church, and ended up becoming the basis of a split in Christianity. This influential document was one theological professor’s response to the sale of indulgences, a practice long supported by Catholic leaders. Indulgences were a way to lessen punishment after sin. Martin Luther was livid at the thought of people buying their way to salvation, as it contradicted his strong belief that redemption was determined by faith, and that the Bible was the ultimate religious authority, as opposed to the Pope. On a pilgrimage to Rome, Luther witnessed flocks of peasants spending their life savings on indulgences for their dead relatives. At the monastery, Luther struggled to find peace with God; his superior, Johann von Staupitz, chose not to counsel him out of the order. Instead, he sent Luther to study for his doctorate and assume the Doctor in Bible at the University of Wittenberg. While teaching at Wittenberg, Luther continued to develop his theological and philosophical perspective, resulting in his revelatory â€Å"tower experience.† Meanwhile, Friar Johann Tetzel began to sell indulgences in Germany to raise funds to renovate St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, prompting Luther to preach against Tetzel. To counter Tetzel, Luther composed the â€Å"Disputation on the Power andShow MoreRelatedOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 Pagesdetermining beginnings and endings that accord with major shifts in political and socioeconomic circumstances and dynamics rather than standard but arbitrary chronological break points. In the decades that followed the Great War, the victorious European powers appeared to have restored, even expanded, their global political and economic preeminence only to see it eclipsed by the emergence of the Soviet and U.S. superpowers on their periphery and a second round of even more devastating global conflict.

Affirmative Action Necessary or Unnecessary Essay

Affirmative Action was centered around 1961 because women and minorities were being discriminated against. By definition, affirmative action is â€Å"the encouragement of increased representation of women and minority-group members, especially in employment† (Dictionary.com). The main controversy of affirmative action is whether or not it is still necessary, and if it should be abolished all together. It was originally intended to benefit cultural groups that were thought to suffer from discrimination in the past, however, now some people believe that those cultural groups are already being represented to the fullest extent, and that affirmative action is no longer necessary. On the other hand, other people believe that affirmative action†¦show more content†¦However, what they want people to know is that African Americans are helped by fourteen percent due to affirmative action (Figure 1). People are split over whether affirmative action reduces the effects of the past discrimination, or if it does not do anything at all, and just aggravates people; Americans are bringing up new aspects of the effects of affirmative action. Affirmative action may not have helped African Americans quite as much as women. â€Å"Blacks continue to have twice the unemployment rate of whites† (Pritchett), and â€Å"only thirty-five percent of all African Americans high school graduates attend college versus the fifty percent of white students† (Pritchett). Others believe this means affirmative action is not helping the African Americans, and is still causing discrimination. â€Å"During the time of slavery, African Americans were not given an equal opportunity to establish jobs or a good education, setting them back in the modern market† (SocialistWorker.org). Another common concern with lots of controversy is the effects of affirmative action on reverse racism. Caucasian students have been complaining for years because they believe th ey were cheated out of a fair chance to have aShow MoreRelatedAda and Affirmative Action Essay1000 Words   |  4 PagesADA and Affirmative Action The United States of America is a culturally diverse place. There are people from all over the world living in here. There are people from different cultures, people with different religious and moral standards and beliefs, and people from different races and of different ethnicities. There are also people living amongst us that face special circumstances such as being physically or mentally disabled, challenged by a chronic illness or even sexual orientation. ThroughoutRead MoreWhy We Still Need Affirmitive Action1493 Words   |  6 PagesWhy we still need affirmative action Because of the complex nature of the discussion on affirmative action and the controversies and the emotion surrounding it, it is imperative to first recap on the causes of race and inequality in the United States of America. The policies on affirmative action were proposed as a fractional remedy for the socio-economic impacts of past and present disadvantage faced by certain groups in the population, especially with regard to biases on gender and race. Such disadvantagesRead MoreAffirmative Action Is Important For Society1649 Words   |  7 Pages Affirmative action Affirmative action is an attempt to address past discriminatory injustices which may be based on gender, race or ethnicity. Affirmative action may take the form of policies and programs which are mostly mandated by governments and designed to bring changes in organizations, companies and educational institutions. Affirmative action is a vital tool which provides qualified people with equal access to educational or professional opportunities that they would otherwise have beenRead MoreAffirmative Action And Its Effects On Affirmative1263 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout America there are many different views on the effects of affirmative action. Many see it as a negative policy which gives an unnecessary advantage to minorities in America. In a 2009 Pew Poll, â€Å"58% of African Americans agree† and only â€Å"22% whites agree† that there should be â€Å"preferential treatment to improve the position of blacks and other minorities† (Public Backs Affirmative Actio n†). Today affirmative action and other racial injustices tend to be in the spotlight quite often, suchRead MoreAffirmative Action: Social Policy1348 Words   |  6 PagesAffirmative Action Affirmative action is a social policy created to promote the welfare of minorities by supporting the idea that individuals are all created equal and should not be judged by race or gender. Therefore, in situations like job and university applications, we should consider minorities to be as feasible a choice for hire as a white male candidate, taking into consideration their background. In short, it tries to give minorities that have been at a disadvantage their whole life, anRead More Affirmative Action Is Not the Solution Essay1340 Words   |  6 Pagesnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Affirmative action is a social policy created to promote the welfare of minorities by supporting the idea that individuals are all created equal and should not be judged by race or gender. Therefore, in situations like job and university applications, we should consider minorities to be as feasible a choice for hire as a white male candidate, taking into consideration their background. In short, it tries to give minorities that have been at a disadvantage their wholeRead MoreEssay on History and Opinions on the Policy of Affirmative Action1725 Words   |  7 Pages is Affirmative Action. The basic goal of these policies is to increase opportunities for minorities in the United States job market and educational system. Yet one might also question if these policies actually decrease discrimination or increase the inequality gap between the dominate white group and the minority African American group? What benefits do we really gain from Affirmative Action? In order to answer these and other questions, we must first fully understand what Affirmative ActionRead More Its Time to Put and End to Affirmative Action Essay1586 Words   |  7 Pages Affirmative action should be changed or ended altogether In the late Sixties, Martin Luther King Jr. fought hard for equal rights. Before he was assassinated in 1968, he made a speech about his vision of human equality. â€Å"I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.† (King) The Sixties were a turning point for racial equality. Because of leaders like King, many blacks and minorityRead More1. The two major Supreme Court decisions need to be identified, which are related to student to1300 Words   |  6 Pagesclarify whether the standards set in Gebser apply to harassment cases regarding student to student harassment. The court ruled that the standards which Gebser set do apply to student harassment by another student. Davis does expand the criteria necessary to hold an institution liable for harassment. Gebser set the following criteria: 1. An official must have had â€Å"actual knowledge† of the harassment and the official must have the authority to enforce corrective measures to halt the harassmentRead MoreAffirmative Action Should Be Changed or Ended All Together1605 Words   |  7 PagesAffirmative action should be changed or ended altogether In the late Sixties, Martin Luther King Jr. fought hard for equal rights. Before he was assassinated in 1968, he made a speech about his vision of human equality. I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. (King) The Sixties were a turning point for racial equality. Because of leaders like King, many blacks and minority

The age of the entrepreneur has arrived Free Essays

We are living in an age of entrepreneurship. When Bill Gates, the founder and CEO of Microsoft or Anita Roddick, founder of the Body Shop seem to be better known around the world than most heads of state, one might conclude that the age of the entrepreneur has arrived. Entrepreneurs of large multinational corporations have had a distinctly important role in shaping today’s process of globalization. We will write a custom essay sample on The age of the entrepreneur has arrived or any similar topic only for you Order Now The term â€Å"entrepreneurship† has historically referred to the efforts of an individual who takes on the odds in translating a vision into a successful business enterprise (Collins Moore, 1964; Hebert Link, 1988). More recently, however, entrepreneurship has been conceptualized as a process that can occur in organizations of all sizes and types, such as the public sector, and non-profit organization (Burgelman, 1983; Gartner, 1985; Kao, 1989; Miller, 1983). In this paper, the author will use the case of Michael Young, Lord Young of Dartington, to discuss how useful is the notion of the ‘social entrepreneur’ and how different is such a concept from the more traditional portrayal of the private sector entrepreneur. The story of Michael Young Michael Young, one of Britain foremost social entrepreneurs, has died aged 86. Lord Young of Dartington leaves behind dozens of institutions and charities which he either was founder, or played a major hand in creating including the Consumers Association and the Open University. He was an innovative and progressive thinker in political and social policy (Briggs2001). By any standard, Young must count as one of the most fecund and versatile figures of British life. As head of the Labour Party’s research department and one of the people who drafted its manifesto in 1945, he helped craft the terms of the post-war settlement. His seminal study of family and kinship in London’s East End gave social inquiry a new direction. He was a prime mover in the development of the Consumers’ Association, the Open University, the Social Science Research Council, the University of the Third Age and, most recently, the School of Social Entrepreneurs. For nearly 60 years, Young has fertilised British life with new ideas and new institutions. Yet he is also one of the authors of a reactionary orthodoxy that lies on British politics and education with the weight of a corpse (Briggs2001). His many dragon seeds have included starting the Advisory Centre for Education, which provided information on education issues (1960); the National Consumer Council (1975); the University of the Third Age, or U3A (1982); the Open College of the Arts, which taught practical arts by correspondence (1987); the National Association for the Education of Sick Children (1993); a Family Covenant Association, for promoting a secular form of Baptism (1994); and the School for Social Entrepreneurs (1998) (Gray2001) The nature of entrepreneurship According to Collins, Moore, (1964), the entrepreneur was defined as ‘a risk-taker – a man who braves uncertainty, strikes out on his own, and, through native wit, devotion ot duty, and singleness of purpose, somehow creates business and industrial activity where none existed before’. In a 21st century business context, and largely as lay people understand it, entrepreneur typically refers to ‘a person who undertakes or controls a business or enterprise and bears the risk of profit or loss’ (Brown 1993), Underlying entrepreneurial attitudes and behaviors are three key dimensions: innovativeness, risk taking, and proactiveness (Covin Slevin, 1989; Miller, 1983; Morris Sexton, 1996). Innovativeness refers to the seeking of creative, unusual, or novel solutions to problems and needs. These solutions take the form of new technologies and processes, as well as new products and services. Risk taking involves the willingness to commit significant resources to opportunities having a reasonable chance of costly failure. These risks are typically moderate and calculated. Proactiveness is concerned with implementation, with doing what is necessary to bring an entrepreneurial concept to fruition. It usually involves considerable perseverance, adaptability, and a willingness to assume responsibility for failure. To the extent that an undertaking demonstrates some amount of innovativeness, risk taking, and proactiveness, it can be considered an entrepreneurial event, and the person behind it an entrepreneur. Further, any number of entrepreneurial events can be produced in a given time period (Stevenson Jarillo, 1990). Accordingly, entrepreneurship is not an either/or determination, but a question of â€Å"degree† and â€Å"frequency.† Organizations can be characterized, then, in terms of their entrepreneurial orientation or â€Å"intensity,† which is a reflection both of how many entrepreneurial things they are doing, and how innovative, risky, and proactive those things tend to be. By dissecting the critical elements of entrepreneurship, we are able to highlight the essential ingredients for society to nurture, cultivate and value. It also frees the term for use in non-business, non-profit-seeking ventures. It blurs the boundaries between the business and social sectors in potentially useful ways as well and foreshadows a cultural shift in what we value. And Casson (1995) notes that entrepreneurship can be a distributed process across the public/private divide. He (1995) argues: â€Å"The public sector and the private sector therefore offer two distinct channels of advancement for the entrepreneur. The rewards to entrepreneurship in the public sector come more in the form of status rather than of income, of course. The difference between the social entrepreneur and the private sector entrepreneur a). The different mission. Compare to the private sector entrepreneur, social entrepreneurs has the different mission (Ackerman1996). Social entrepreneurs play the role of change agents in the social sector, by adopting a mission to create and sustain social value, not just private value. For social entrepreneurs, the social mission is explicit and central. This obviously affects how social entrepreneurs perceive and assess opportunities. Mission-related impact becomes the central criterion, not wealth creation. Wealth is just a means to an end for social entrepreneurs. With business entrepreneurs, wealth creation is a way of measuring value creation. This is because business entrepreneurs are subject to market discipline, which determines in large part whether they are creating value. If they do not shift resources to more economically productive uses, they tend to be driven out of business. b). Different measurements to value creation. In the modern market, the value created by private sector entrepreneur can be clearly calculated by the market value. Whereas, it is inherently difficult to measure social value creation (Dees 1998). How much social value is created by reducing pollution in a given stream, by saving the spotted owl, or by providing companionship to the elderly? The calculations are not only hard but also contentious. Even when improvements can be measured, it is often difficult to attribute them to a specific intervention. Are the lower crime rates in an area due to the Block Watch, new policing techniques, or just a better economy? Even when improvements can be measured and attributed to a given intervention, social entrepreneurs often cannot capture the value they have created in an economic form to pay for the resources they use. Defining Social Entrepreneurship Although the growing attention devoted to the phenomenon, there have not a generally accepted definition of public/social sector entrepreneurship to emerge. Many of prior studies provided the definition of social entrepreneurship. Such as Bellone Goerl (1992) social entrepreneurship is an active approach to administrative responsibility that includes generating new sources of revenue, providing enhanced services, and helping to facilitate increased citizen education and involvement. Osborne Gaebler (1992) state it as a continuous attempt to apply resources in new ways so as to heighten the efficiency and effectiveness of public institutions. Linden (1990) concluded it as the purposeful and organized search for innovative changes in public sector organizations and operations. Base on such prior studies, Dees (1998) stated social entrepreneurs play the role of change agents in the social sector, by: * Adopting a mission to create and sustain social value (not just private value), * Recognizing and relentlessly pursuing new opportunities to serve that mission, * Engaging in a process of continuous innovation, adaptation, and learning, * Acting boldly without being limited by resources currently in hand, and * Exhibiting a heightened sense of accountability to the constituencies served and for the outcomes created. Dees (1998) also mentioned this is clearly an â€Å"idealized† definition. Social sector leaders will exemplify these characteristics in different ways and to different degrees. The closer a person gets to satisfying all these conditions, the more that person fits the model of a social entrepreneur. Those who are more innovative in their work and who create more significant social improvements will naturally be seen as more entrepreneurial. The truly Schumpeterian social entrepreneurs will significantly reform or revolutionize their industries. In sum, social entrepreneurship extends the definition of entrepreneurship by its emphasis on ethical integrity and maximizing social value rather than private value or profit. How Michael Young fits the model of a social entrepreneur? To consider how far that Michael Young was entrepreneurial? It is better to consider who closer Michael Young gets to satisfying all such conditions mentioned in the last section. Also Brazeal and Herbert (1999A) stated the way of viewing entrepreneurship is to recognize that entrepreneurship is enabled by the current or potential existence of something new (an innovation), new ways of looking at old problems (Creativity), or the lessened capability of prior processes or solutions to respond effectively to new problem parameters brought on by new or emerging external conditions (environmental change), which can supplant or be complementary to existing processes or solutions (a change), when championed by one or more invested individuals (the innovator). In the follow, some attributions of Michael Young are listed, and it is clear that Michael Young is a successful social entrepreneurial. Young often turned personal experience into new opportunities for social action (Gary 2001). While in hospital with cancer, he devised the idea of the College of Health (and with his sense of provocative fun, he originally called it the Association of Trained Patients). While organizing the funeral of his wife, he saw the need to improve the training of funeral directors, and so he established the National Funerals College. When he discovered that Bengali patients at the London Hospital were unable to explain to doctors what was wrong with them he launched a telephone exchange offering instant translation services. His energy seemed unstoppable, and even into his late seventies he was publishing books and creating even more organizations. Young created an alternative vision of education (Briggs2001). His views on education were often controversial, and heavily influenced by his time spent as a young man at the alternative school at Dartington Hall. The school was based on the philosophy of Rousseau who held the belief that all children were born gifted in one way or another and needed only to be fed and watered, like plants, for their gifts to grow. Michael Young re-stated the egalitarian vision (Gary 2001). He stated where we to evaluate people, not only according to their intelligence and their education, their occupations and their power, but according to their kindliness and their courage, their imagination and sensitivity, their sympathy and generosity, there would be no overall inequalities of the sort we have got used to. Who would be able to say that the scientist was superior to the porter with admirable qualities as a father, the civil servant to the lorry-driver with unusual skills at growing roses? In sum up, Michael Young has undoubtedly been a great innovator, and the greatest social entrepreneur in the UK. The valuation created by Michael Young is significant with the private sector entrepreneur. He was an innovative and progressive thinker in political and social policy. How to cite The age of the entrepreneur has arrived, Papers

Telecommunication Act Of 1996 Essays - Bell System,

Telecommunication Act Of 1996 In February of 1996, the U.S. Congress enacted the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The Act was one of the most substantial changes in the regulation of any industry in recent history. The Act replaced all current laws, FCC regulations, and the consent degree and subsequent court rulings under which AT&T was broken into the "baby Bells." It also overruled all existing state laws and prohibited states from introducing new laws. Practically overnight, the telecommunications industry went from a highly regulated and legally restricted monopoly to open competition. Or almost open competition. It has been more than three years since the Act became law, and while we have seen some changes, they have not been as substantial as many analysts, law- makers, and regulators had anticipated. The Act addressed five major areas of telecommunications: 1) Local telephone service, 2) Long distance telephone service, 3) Cable television service, 4) Radio and television broadcasting, 5) Censorship of the internet. The primary goal of the Act was to promote competition for local telephone services, long distance telephone services, and cable TV services. Inter-exchange carriers (IXC) (such as AT&T, Sprint, and MCI) and cable TV companies (such as TCI and Jones Inter-cable) are permitted to offer local telephone service. The "baby Bells" or Regional Bell Operating Companies (RBOC) (also called Local Exchange Carriers (LEC) such as BellSouth and Ameritech were permitted to offer long distance telephone services and cable TV services. The RBOC were also permitted to manufacture their own equipment and to offer online information services and electronic publishing (but under tight controls until 2000). Incidentally, electric utility companies, another traditionally highly regulated industry, were permitted to enter the local telephone market. I believe that the Act made the most impact on Local telephone service. Local telephone service had been a regulated monopoly for almost 100 years. Local telephone services are currently controlled by a handful of RBOCs who have not been known for innovation or cost cutting. Under this new Act, local service was now open for competition. Other companies are permitted to build their own local telephone facilities and offer services to customers. However, building entirely new facilities are prohibitively expensive. Under the Act, existing RBOCs would have to offer their telephone services to other companies (e.g., AT&T) at wholesale prices. These other companies will then resell the services to consumers at retail prices in competition with the RBOC. The wholesale prices are set by state regulatory agencies and typically are around 20% under the RBOCs current retail prices (but some states have set them as low as 40% under retail). One of the major concerns of permitting open competition were the very real fear that the profit motive would lead companies to focus on the most profitable markets and avoid the least profitable ones. For example, after deregulation of the airline industry, prices dropped dramatically for large urban centers, but steadily rose for small rural centers. Common sense suggested that the same events would occur in the telephone market. Urban customers would benefit from increased competition while rural customers would see their prices increase sharply to accurately reflect the high cost of providing services in sparsely populated areas. Many of the RBOCs proposed price increases of $10 per month in rural areas. Therefore, the Act contained a universal service requirement, which mandated RBOCs to provide rural and other high-cost areas with similar types and quality of services and technologies that they provide to other areas and to do so at reasonable rates. RBOCs were also required to provide special, less expensive access to schools, hospitals, and libraries. RBOCs (with the exception of small RBOCs) were required to contribute to a universal service fund, which was used to partially subsidize the RBOCs providing services under the universal service requirements. One year after the Act was passed the expected competition for local telephone service had not materialized. The RBOCs launched several court challenges and managed to delay any real changes. Several cable TV companies have test marketed local telephone service, but none have committed to providing full scale services; most have quietly terminated plans to enter the market after unsuccessful test-marketing. Similarly, most telephone companies have quietly terminated plans to provide video to their customers. Most analysts expected the Big Three IXCs (AT&T, MCI, and Sprint) to quickly charge into the local telephone market. Sprint has made small moves also providing cellular telephone services in five urban areas. AT&T has barely begun test-marketing the reselling of RBOC services in California -- although it claims it will soon begin reselling RBOC services in all 50 states