Environmental Justice Free Essays

Two Boats Heading Down One Stream: Environmental Justice and Consumer Resistance In the 1980s, an issue emerged which exposed the correlation between racism, poverty, and environmental threats in the United States. This issue known as environmental injustice suggests that ethnic minorities and the poor communities are targets for toxic industries. The consistent lack of governmental representation and lack of political clout caused these targeted communities to take leadership in the environmental justice movement through grassroots organizations. We will write a custom essay sample on Environmental Justice or any similar topic only for you Order Now During the rise of environmental justice movements, there was a market revolution. Technological advancements, such as portable phones, faster cable, laptops, etc. , were becoming more accessible to the public. These new resources of communication encouraged market forces to advertise and promote their products and/or services more expansively. This growing capacity for advertisement in the United States led to habits of overconsumption in American society. Soon the â€Å"nation of opportunity† became infamously known as â€Å"the nation of gluttony. This perception created animosity in the United States, and anti-consumption sentiments spread. Market rebellion soon followed. Mainstream forms of consumer resistance are continuing to develop, however the foundation of consumer resistance lies in the minority communities of the United States. The simultaneous emergence of both the environmental justice movement and consumer resistance is no coincidence. Both movements have similar traits; they share the same actors, purpose, and resistance tactics.In my analysis I will demonstrate the leading forces in both movements, which consist of ethnic minorities and low-income level communities. I will then address the shared purposes of both movements. I will examine the similar incentives in participating in these movements, as well as the psychological/social concepts of voluntarism and civic participation. The final correlative factor that I identify between the environmental justice movement and consumer resistance is the tactics of resistance, such as, grassroots protests, boycotting, and product purchasing commitments.This analysis will determine that consumer resistance is a function of the environmental justice movement. Actors Women and ethnic minorities, such as, African Americans, Mexican Americans, and Native Americans, are the dominant leaders and actors in the environmental justice movement and in consumer resistance. Mexican Americans and Native Americans have deep knowledge of ecology and respect for natural resources that originate in the moral foundations of their cultures and identities. African Americans and Women share the resentment of industries to target them and construct them in terms of their roles in society.These sentiments are addressed in their acts of consumer resistance and environmental justice movements. The importance in sustaining the environment and natural resources is apparent in Native American’s traditional ecological knowledge. The significance of nature in Native American culture is shown in their spiritual beliefs and pagan religion. Many tribes idolized animals by emulating them through warrior garments, physical markings, tribal chants, and dances. They also relied on plant life in their medicinal practices. N.Scott Momaday of the Kiowa Tribe summates the ethics of Native American tribes by stating, â€Å"We humans must come again to a moral comprehension of the earth and air. We must live according to the principle of a land ethic. The alternative is that we shall not live at all† (Churchill 1983, 47). Native Americans are ideal leaders in environmental justice movements and consumer resistance due to their strong views of sustainable resource management and their personal conflicts over land ownership and property rights. Native American communities are arguably the most susceptible to having their land taken by corporations or industries. In terms of agricultural practices, the Native Americans, especially those tribes residing in California, have sustainably managed the agricultural cultivation without relying on machines or pesticides (Churchill 1983). Mexican Americans have a deep respect for the environment and have a deep awareness of how to use natural resources sustainably. This knowledge is important to the survival of the culture and community, and reflects their Chicano identities. Sister Teresa Jaramillo, another San Luis native, describes a local sense of place that weaves her body and spirituality into the land, La Sierra. I know the names of the creeks and lakes and ponds with beautiful fish. I know the names of the hills where trees can be found†¦They are my spiritual brothers and sisters, my teachers. I know the place where the animal trails take you and the beaver ponds, and the places where my uncle took sheep to graze. I know La Sierra because she is my home† (Pena 2005, xxv-xxvi). The Mexican American people have an intimate relationship with the wilderness, which makes them appropriate actors in issues of resource exploitation. â€Å"In the land grant communities at the time of Pinchot and Muir, wilderness was inhabited; it was home.It was not a mere commodity. Nature was inseparable from civilization. Their material culture is based on this sustainable relationship to wild spaces. The wilderness is woven into people’s identities† (Pena 2005, 31). When the common lands of and water rights of his ancestral land were taken and destroyed, Adelmo Kaber felt susto, a fright so intense it may result in the loss of soul. Mexican Americans are severely affected by environmental threats in terms of their well-being because of the significance of natural resources in framing their cultural identities and morals (Pena 2005).African Americans have been prominent leaders in combating industries through environmental justice movements and consumer resistance. Industrial forces have performed acts of environmental racism that directly affect the health and labor rights of those targeted black communities. These acts have been successful in the formation of groups meant to hinder the progress of services and industries that have destroyed the health, the environment, and the civil rights of black communities. Women have also been prominent leaders in combating industries through environmental justice movements and consumer resistance.A unive rsity study shows that women think of â€Å"big business as a deterrent to positive change in the area of the environment† and it also showed that women defined themselves in opposition to the dominant consumer culture† because of â€Å"their idea that consumption did not provide solutions to environmental problems† (Fournier 1998, 2). During the 1980’s, women broke out of their former social constructs of the 1950s by entering the workforce and abandoning their roles as being solely the housewives. This created women’s growing resentment for household and childcare products being targeted at just a female audience.The rising influence of women in leading environmental justice movements and consumer resistance is due to the growing influence of Ecofeminism. This new sector of environmental justice â€Å"is based on the idea that domination and exploitation of women and of the environment are interconnected. † (132) Ecofeminists identify the problem as being â€Å"the capitalist system of economic exploitation and its control of science and technology† (Pena 2005, 133). The growing credibility of this approach provides another portal for women to combat industries through environmental justice movements and consumer resistance. PurposeThe environmental justice movements and consumer resi stance share the same purpose in terms of hindering industries that are detrimental to the environments they target. Both movements have a cause-and-effect relationship. Collectively changing consumption patterns reduces exploitation of resources and environmental degradation. Reversely, advocating for more environmentally benign production practices in toxic facilities creates eco-friendly products and services. This relationship is reflected in the shared incentives and the psychological implications of the environmental justice movements and consumer resistance.Many notable environmental organizations, such as Greenpeace, Co-Op America, and Earth First, address both issues of environmental justice and overconsumption in order to improve their credibility in the realm of environmentalism. In current environmental issues, Greenpeace â€Å"opposes the release of GMOs into the environment† and â€Å"advocates immediate interim measures such as the labeling of GE foods and the segregation of genetically engineered crops and seeds to prevent them contaminating conventional and organic produce † (Greenpeace).This demonstrates how Greenpeace merges consumer resistance and environmental justice by altering the content of GE food labels, which would reduce consumption of GE food, as well as improve human health and the environment. It is apparent that the intentions of consumer resistance includes the intentions of environmental justice movements because anti-consumption depends on a sense of identity grounded in social positions, such as, pro environmentalism, empowerment, and a vision of society that involved eco-friendly market behavior and structure. Anti-brand movements merge concerns of consumer resistance and environmental justice. Issues prominent in the anti-brand movement range from workplace equality and corporate domination to environmentalism and marketing propaganda† (Hollenbeck 2006, 1). These sentiments are reflected in the Fair Trade Coffee campaign of the Global Exchange Organization. The Fair Trade Coffee campaign â€Å"assures consumers that the coffee we drink was purchased under fair conditions. To become Fair Trade certified, an importer must meet stringent international criteria; paying a minimum price per pound of $1. 26, providing much needed credit to farmers, and providing te chnical assistance such as help transitioning to organic farming. Fair Trade for coffee farmers means community development, health, education, and environmental stewardship† (Fair Trade Coffee 2009). It is apparent that achieving environmental justice and consumer resistance simultaneously is easily attainable. Many social and psychological concepts draw connections among the purposes of both movements. The notion of voluntary simplicity, which is â€Å"the idea that personal satisfaction, fulfillment, and happiness result from a commitment to nonmaterial aspects of life,† can be applied to the purpose of consumer resistance and environmental justice movements (Zavestoski 2009, 154). This belief is put into practice by minimizing consumption of material goods, exercising self-reliance, and improving one’s intellect† (Zavestoski 2009, 155). Both movements exercise this theory in their counteractions against corrupt industrial forces by educating their communities about environmental injustices and the negative effects of o verconsumption, as well as belittling the credibility of those industries by protesting, boycotting, or make purchase commitments. Another common purpose of environmental justice movements and consumer resistance is to terminate the exploitation of natural resources. Our society’s unhealthy dependence on resources is shown through one of Marxist’s meanings of alienation: Due to the fact that who we are is defined by what we produce; when we are separated from what we produced, we are alienated from ourselves. In a system in which forms of production cut the laborer off from what she or he produces, as in capitalism, the laborer can no longer create his identity through production (Zavestoski 2009, 157). This implies that corrupt industrial forces are detrimental to self identity and independence.Mexican Americans and Native Americans share this sentiment of blaming industry and resource exploitation for threatening the integrity of their identities and moral beliefs of environmentalism. Marx also identifies two contradictions of capitalism. The first contradiction is the tendency for the profit rates to decline while capital expands globally. This leads to overproduction because â€Å"each individual capitalist seeks to lower costs in order to maintain profitability by out-producing his or her competitors† (Pena 2005, 134). The unintended effect is the reduction of total market demand for commodities.Both movements adopt this theory because it implies that industrial overproduction and labor/consumer demand are to blame for the exploitation of resources (Pena 2005). The second contradiction is characterized as a problem of underproduction. â€Å"Individual capitalists lower costs by externalizing costs to labor or nature,† but â€Å"the unintended effect of this is to raise costs on other capitals†¦and lower profits† (Pena 2005, 134). This contradiction is the main concept in Ecosocialism, which declares that â€Å"the economic system destroys the natural conditions of production and provokes an ecological crisis† (Pena 2005, 134).This theory draws the connection between consumer resistance and environmental justice movements because it blames corrupt industrial forces for creating environmental threats and exploited resources. Tactics Environmental justice movements and acts of consumer resistance share the same tactic of boycotting as well as forming or joining grassroots organizations. Native Americans have used boycotting to combat industries that claimed the land in which they resided in. The Navajo community boycotted the uranium mining in Churchrock, New Mexico.The miners significantly reduced the limited water supply, and also contaminated what was left of the Navajo water supply with uranium. Kerr-McGee and United Nuclear Corporation, the two mining companies held responsible, argued that the Federal Water Pollution Control Act did not apply to them. The boycotts did achieve legal attention, but the courts did not force the companies to comply with US clean water regulations until 1980 (Shaiman 1998). The Native Americans referred to boycotting to avert consumption of certain products.The Native American boycotts regarding Crazy Horse Malt Liquor began when the Hornell Brewing Co. introduced Crazy Horse Malt Liquor in a distasteful and insulting manner. The introduction â€Å"demeans the name of revered Oglala Lakota Leader Tashunke Witco [Crazy Horse]† (Friedman 1999, 139). This statement reflects the feelings of the American Indian Movement (AIM) as well as two other organizations (the Wisconsin Greens and Honor, Inc. ) that performed boycotts the two associated brewers. The boycott gained Native American constituencies in Congress. However, the beverage is still sold in some 40 states (Friedman 1999).Historically, Mexican American led environmental justice movements using strikes as their main tactic. The Cananea Strike of 1906 was documented as the first successful strike in terms of ending environmentally hazardous working conditions. The Cananea Mine in Sonora, Arizona was notorious causing fatalities among workers, who died in the explosions or from asphyxiation due to the buildup of toxic gases. On November 19th, 1906, Mexican workers went on strike against the owner, Anaconda Copper Company, a multinational corporation based in the United States.This strike was one of the first involving demands to improve workplace environmental conditions. Following that strike, Mexican Americans were excluded from the American Federation of Labor (AFL), and thus were forced to form their own unions. The environmental injustices of this occupational segregation led to numerous conflicts and strikes over the course of the 20th century (Pena 2005, 101). Mexican American tactics for environmental justice movements involve forming grassroots projects and organizations to boycott and campaign for better living conditions. The Southwest Organizing Project (SWOP) was a collective response by Mexican Americans in Albuquerque to an urban environment containing patterns of discrimination and police brutality. The toxic brownfields, polluting industries, and deteriorating housing degrade urban neighborhoods (Pena 2005, 168). Mexican-origin urban residents participate in movements for amenities, such as, better housing, community-based health care, and local food security by boycotting corrupt businesses that surround the community. Mexican Americans have utilized boycotting in their consumer resistance efforts.The organization responsible for the boycott was Justicia, one of several Mexican American groups active in media reform efforts in the late 1960s and early 1970s This group successfully dropped the advertisement of â€Å"Frito Bandito† by the Frito-Lay Company from its Fritos Corn Chips commercials. Another success was the purging from prime time of â€Å"Jose Jimenez,† the Hispanic cha racter created by comedian Bill Dana (Friedman 1999, 157). African Americans utilize boycotting in their actions of consumer resistance. The Street Car boycotts of the early 1990s occurred in response to Jim Crow streetcar laws.Every one of the boycotts failed to reverse the legal tide of segregation in the South. As the only protest mechanism realistically available to African Americans, however, the boycott tactic continued to be embraced even though failure was inevitable. In the 1950s, the bus boycotts of Montgomery and Tallahassee regarding segregated seating proved to be effective. The bus boycotts put the buses out of business in the black community. When the Supreme Court ruled against bus segregation in Montgomery, blacks in Tallahassee resumed riding buses, with desegregated seating (Friedman 1999).Many black communities also used boycotting as a mechanism to combat the environmental injustices of landfills in the last 50 years. In 1967, black students of Houston boycotted the city garbage dump in their community that had claimed the lives of two children. In 1968, residents of West Harlem, in New York City, fought unsuccessfully against the sewage treatment plant in their community. In 1982, the black community of Warren County boycotted the newly constructed hazardous waste landfill in the small town of Afton. State officials disregarded concerns over toxic chemicals leaching into drinking water supplies.This forced the community to confront the dumping trucks. Lying down on roads leading into the landfill, the community stopped the dumping. After six weeks of marches and nonviolent street protests, more than 500 people were arrested. The boycotting was ineffective and the toxic waste was eventually deposited in that landfill. However the boycotts of Warren County did receive national attention and gave the environmental justice movement mainstream acclamation (Bullard 1990). Consumer resistance and environmental justice movements have contributed to female empowerment in American politics.Women are the leading actors in the current anti-consumption and environmental movements. New studies of Ecofeminism and the evolution of women’s rights contribute to the progress in women’s role in society. This changes the social construct of women and displays the shift in female roles of American society. Ethnic minorities are also empowered as a result of these popular movements. Grassroots organizations led by minorities are gaining notoriety and credibility in the domestic policies of U. S. politics. These movements have also contributed to the modernization of resistance tactics.The Internet has made these movements more global in scale. Resources for grassroots organizations are more accessible, and there are more opportunities to gain political clout among impoverished communities. For the benefit of future generations, these positive shifts in the roles of previously undermined social groups will hopefully raise the relevance of consumer resistance and environmental justice movements in the legislative and judicial branches of government in order to create effective and permanent change. How to cite Environmental Justice, Papers

Soft Drink Industry Case Study Essay Example For Students

Soft Drink Industry Case Study Essay Soft Drink Industry Case StudyTable of ContentsIntroduction3Description3Segments 3Caveats 4Socio-Economic 4Relevant Governmental or Environmental Factors, etc.4Economic Indicators Relevant for this Industry 4Threat of New Entrants 5Economies of Scale5Capital Requirements6Proprietary Product Differences 7Absolute Cost Advantage 8Learning Curve 8Access to Inputs 8Proprietary Low Cost Production 8Brand Identity 9Access to Distribution 9Expected Retaliation9Conclusion10Suppliers 10Supplier concentration 10Presence of Substitute Inputs11Differentiation of Inputs 12Importance of Volume to Supplier 13Impact of Input on Cost or Differentiation13Threat of Backward or Forward Integration 13Access to Capital 14Access to Labor 14Summary of Suppliers14Buyers 15Buyer Concentration versus Industry Concentration 15Buyer Volume15Buyer Switching Cost15Buyer Information 16Threat of Backward Integration 16Pull Through16Brand Identity of Buyers 17Price Sensitivity 17Impact on Quality and Performance 17Su bstitute Products18Relative price/performance relationship of Substitutes 18Buyer Propensity to Substitute 18Rivalry 18Industry Growth Rate20Fixed Costs21Product Differentiation 21Brand Identity 21Informational Complexity 22Corporate Stakes 22Conclusion23Critical Success Factors 23Prognosis 24Bibliography26Appendix 27Key Industry Ratios27IntroductionDescriptionThe soft drink industry is concentrated with the three major players,Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo Inc., and Cadbury Schweppes Plc., making up 90 percent ofthe $52 billion dollar a year domestic soft drink market (Santa, 1996). Thesoft drink market is a relatively mature market with annual growth of 4-5%causing intense rivalry among brands for market share and growth (Crouch, Steve). This paper will explore Porters Five Forces to determine whether or not thisis an attractive industry and what barriers to entry (if any) exist. Inaddition, we will discuss several critical success factors and the future of theindustry. SegmentsThe soft drink industry has two major segments, the flavor segment andthe distribution segment. The flavor segment is divided into 6 categories andis listed in table 1 by market share. The distribution segment is divided in to7 segments: Supermarkets 31.9%, fountain operators 26.8%, vending machines11.5%, convenience stores 11.4%, delis and drug stores 7.9%, club stores 7.3%,and restaurants 3.2%. Table 1: Market Share19901991199219931994 Cola69.969.768.36765.9 Lemon-Lime11.711.81212.112.3 Pepper5.66.26.97.37.6 Root2.72.82.32.72.7 Orange2.32.32.62.32.3 Other7.87.27.98.69.2Source: Industry Surveys, 1995CaveatsThe only limitations on access to information were: 1. Financial information hasnot yet been made available for 1996. 2. The majority of the information targetsthe end consumer and not the sales volume from the major soft drink producers tolocal distributors. 3. There was no data available to determine over capacity. Socio-EconomicRelevant Governmental or Environmental Factors, etc. The Federal Government regulates the soft drink industry, like any industrywhere the public ingests the products. The regulations vary from ensuring clean,safe products to regulating what those products can contain. For example, thegovernment has only approved four sweeteners that can be used in the making of asoft drink (Crouch, Steve). The soft drink industry currently has had verylittle impact on the environment. One environmental issue of concern is thatthe use of plastics adversely affects the environment due to the unusually longtime it takes for it to degrade. To combat this, the major competitors havelead in the recycling effort which starting with aluminum and now plastics. Theonly other adverse environmental impact is the plastic straps that hold the canstogether in 6-packs. These straps have been blamed for the deaths of fish andmammals in both fresh and salt water. Economic Indicators Relevant for this IndustryThe general growth of the economy has had a slight positive influence on thegrowth of the industry. The general growth in volume for the industry, 4-5percent, has been barely keeping up with inflation and growths on margins havebeen even less, only 2-3 percent (Crouch, Steve). .ue6ae7ef78e7affb7e78f548d2016c4c0 , .ue6ae7ef78e7affb7e78f548d2016c4c0 .postImageUrl , .ue6ae7ef78e7affb7e78f548d2016c4c0 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ue6ae7ef78e7affb7e78f548d2016c4c0 , .ue6ae7ef78e7affb7e78f548d2016c4c0:hover , .ue6ae7ef78e7affb7e78f548d2016c4c0:visited , .ue6ae7ef78e7affb7e78f548d2016c4c0:active { border:0!important; } .ue6ae7ef78e7affb7e78f548d2016c4c0 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ue6ae7ef78e7affb7e78f548d2016c4c0 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ue6ae7ef78e7affb7e78f548d2016c4c0:active , .ue6ae7ef78e7affb7e78f548d2016c4c0:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ue6ae7ef78e7affb7e78f548d2016c4c0 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ue6ae7ef78e7affb7e78f548d2016c4c0 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ue6ae7ef78e7affb7e78f548d2016c4c0 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ue6ae7ef78e7affb7e78f548d2016c4c0 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ue6ae7ef78e7affb7e78f548d2016c4c0:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ue6ae7ef78e7affb7e78f548d2016c4c0 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ue6ae7ef78e7affb7e78f548d2016c4c0 .ue6ae7ef78e7affb7e78f548d2016c4c0-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ue6ae7ef78e7affb7e78f548d2016c4c0:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Reclaiming Clean Energy from Wastewater EssayThreat of New EntrantsEconomies of ScaleSize is a crucial factor in reducing operating expenses and being able to makestrategic capital outlays. By consolidating the fragmented bottling side of theindustry, operating expenses may be spread over a larger sales base, whichreduces the per case cost of production. In addition, larger corporate coffersallow for capital investment in automated high speed bottling lines thatincrease efficiency (Industry Surveys, 1995). This trend is supported by thedecline in the number of production workers employed by the industry at

Target Corporation free essay sample

Target Corporation was founded in 1902 by George Dayton in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was originally called â€Å"Dayton Dry Goods Company† and then later became Dayton Company in 1910. By 1962, Dayton Company opened its first discount store in Roseville, Minnesota by the name of â€Å"Target†. By 2000, all Dayton Hudson Corporations changed their name to Target Corporation. It opened three operating divisions including Target, Mervyn’s and the Department Store Division. In 2001, Target’s division generated about 80 percent of retail sales and operating income while Mervyn’s generated only 12 percent and the Department Store Division only generated 9% of sales therefore Target merged their e-commerce team and direct merchandising unit into one organization creating Target Corporation opening 74 new stores within the same year. Target’s operating strategy is built on providing great value to their consumers. They distinguish themselves from the competition by differentiating their inventory from other competing retail stores such as Wal-Mart and K-Mart. We will write a custom essay sample on Target Corporation or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page They are also known as being environmentally responsible. Target’s Corporation Associated Merchandising Corp. is a global sourcing organization that is involved with other souring companies to source goods to other parent companies. Target has developed a very unique store personality since its inception to ensure that it is core targeted market is reached. Targets store image is designed to reach its â€Å"target† market that is understood to be a step above its competitors of Wal-Mart and Kmart. The typical target customer is 44 years old with an average household income of $54,000 per year with 80% being female and over half being college graduates. Target reaches this core market through a strategic and well analyzed store development and retail site selection process. The Target real estate department identifies potential markets for new stores through an extensive search of analyzing population growth, existing stores performance, competition, demographics, and market potential. Target actively seeks the local communities input to ensure new stores are sensitive to local market needs and concerns. Once these market conditions have been met and local communities are on board Target will then construct one of the two possible Target prototype stores, The General Merchandise Store or The super Target. Target strives to open the stores at precise times being either March, July, or October as to ensure maximum exposure as construction on new stores ranges 9-12 months and store openings are planned well beyond 12 months in the future. The General Merchandise Store maintains a mixture of everyday needs including, electronics, household products, limited assortment of non-perishable and perishable food in addition to seasonal items. These stores on average employ 150-250 persons with a planned square footage of 128,000 square feet. The Super Target as the name implies is designed and constructed on a larger and grander scale and is located in large population areas with upscale demographics. The typical Super Target Store provides all the offerings of The General Merchandise Store with the added accompaniments of a full grocery store including fresh organic produce, deli, and bakery. These stores employ on average 200-300 persons and are constructed to be between 180,000 and 190,000 square feet. Target will locate these stores in suburban and urban markets with the urban market stores being single level raised elevation stores. In addition to these new store designs and openings Target breeds its store image and personality in several other ways to maintain its strong and affluent customer base. These objectives are also reached through store remodels, rebuilds, relocations, and in some cases store closings to preserve the brand name. Target is committed to its loyal customers and extensively reinvests in older store remodels to maintain the expected â€Å"store image† Target customers’ desire. Target Real Estate department analyses store sales volume, age of store, new store opportunities, and times since last update when considering a store for its remodel program. In some instances Target will do a complete rebuild of a store when factors allow. Target on average owns 85% of its buildings and land which enables Target in some situations to rebuild the store on the same site while the existing store remains in operation. In all of these situations Target will always to a simultaneous opening in conjunction with a store closing, the older store will close that fternoon with the new/remodeled store opening in the morning. This seamless transition ensures there are not any lapses in employee’s employment as well as customer’s ability to shop. With all of the in-depth site analysis, store analysis, demographic study, traffic count consideration, and local community reach-out that is placed in every new Target store selection, remodel, rebuild or store closing it is very easy to understand how Target has developed a â€Å"cult† like following based somewhat solely on its store image and personality. When a Target store, the bricks and mortar, and contrasted with its counterparts Wal-Mart and Kmart the Target hope is there is simply no comparison. In order to establish a business, Target Corp. had to first start with their marketing mix which includes their products, prices, place, and promotion also known as the four P’s. Their products and services consists of a wide variety including women’s, men’s and children’s fashion, baby equipment, home accessories, furniture, electronics, toys, fitness equipment, bath and bedding, baby and wedding registry, photo, pharmacy, optical and much more. They offer discount prices and clearance items in order to help consumer’s wallets while still offering quality products. (â€Å"Expect More, Pay Less†) Target Corp. has 26 regional distribution centers, 5 import warehouses and stores located in 47 states. They ship all their items directly to consumers from the Target. com Distribution Center. Their promotion strategies consists of newspapers, television commercials, internet and direct mailing lists and Channel Red, an in store network. Target Corporation has a unique market segmentation that makes consumers different from one another. Target Corp. as median age of forty-six years of age which is the youngest among other retailers. They target young customers with higher incomes than their competitors. The median household income of Target consumers is $55,000 and they typically live in suburban areas. About thirty-eight percent of consumers have children at home which is also more than any another competing discount store. Eighty to ninety percent of Target’s consumers are female and forty-three percent have completed college. Although Target’s main consumers are women (93%), they still target men by establishing an automotive, hardware and sporting good departments. Target’s positioning (or market) strategy is centered on a â€Å"cheap chic strategy†. Instead of competition for the lowest price to their everyday competitors, Target wanted to build an attractive clientele and venue. They have attracted a much younger and better educated clientele therefore their consumers are known as â€Å"guests† instead of being known as your everyday â€Å"customer. † Because of their upscale discount prices and products and their concept of associating style and quality, Target created their cheap but chic strategy; setting them apart from competitors. In order to offer quality products, Target uses several marketing tactics in order to keep existing consumers and establish new ones. Television, newspapers, magazines, brochures and testimonials from existing consumers help Target increase their client base and differentiate them from the competition. Another strategy Target Corp. uses in order to lure in younger audiences (both new and existing and typically ages 13-21) is established by running thirty second commercials featuring current celebrities.

The Brezhnev Doctrine

The Brezhnev Doctrine The Brezhnev Doctrine was a Soviet foreign policy outlined in 1968 which called for the use of Warsaw Pact (but Russian-dominated) troops to intervene in any Eastern Bloc nation which was seen to compromise communist rule and Soviet domination. It could be doing this either by trying to leave the Soviet sphere of influence or even moderate its policies rather than stay in the small parameters allowed to them by Russia. The Doctrine was seen clearly in the Soviet crushing of the Prague Spring movement in Czechoslovakia which caused it to be first outlined. Origins of the Brezhnev Doctrine When the forces of Stalin and the Soviet Union fought Nazi Germany west across the European continent, the Soviets did not liberate the countries, like Poland, which were in the way; they conquered them. After the war, the Soviet Union made sure these nations had states who would largely do what they were told by Russia, and the Soviets created the Warsaw Pact, a military alliance between these nations, to counter NATO. Berlin had a wall across it, other areas had no less subtle instruments of control, and the Cold War set two halves of the world against each other (there was a small non-aligned movement). However, the satellites states began to evolve as the forties, fifties and sixties passed by, with a new generation taking control, with new ideas and often less interest in the Soviet empire. Slowly, the Eastern Bloc began to go in different directions, and for a brief time it looked like these nations would assert, if not independence, then a different character. The Prague Spring Russia, crucially, did not approve of this  and worked to stop it. The Brezhnev Doctrine is the moment Soviet policy went from verbal to outright physical threats, the moment the USSR said it would invade anyone who stepped out of its line. It came during Czechoslovakias Prague Spring, a moment when (relative) freedom was in the air, if only briefly. Brezhnev described his response in a speech outlining the Brezhnev Doctrine: ...each Communist party is responsible not only to its own people, but also to all the socialist countries, to the entire Communist movement. Whoever forgets this, in stressing only the independence of the Communist party, becomes one ­ sided. He deviates from his international duty...Discharging their internationalist duty toward the fraternal peoples of Czechoslovakia and defending their own socialist gains, the U.S.S.R. and the other socialist states had to act decisively and they did act against the anti-socialist forces in Czechoslovakia. Aftermath The term was used by the Western media and not by Brezhnev or the USSR itself. The Prague Spring was neutralized, and the Eastern Bloc was under the explicit threat of Soviet attack, as opposed to the previous implicit one. As far as Cold War policies go, the Brezhnev Doctrine was entirely successful, keeping a lid on Eastern Bloc affairs until Russia gave in and ended the Cold War, at which point Eastern Europe rushed to assert itself once more.

How to Write the Worcester Polytechnic Institute Essay 2018-2019

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) is a technological university established in 1865, located around 50 miles from Boston in Worcester, Massachusetts. Known for its project-based curriculum, WPI features a 95-acre campus and aims to provide its students with quality resources. WPI is ranked #59 by U.S. News and World Report with an acceptance rate of 48% for the Class of 2022. A unique admissions aspect of WPI is the test-optional policy—you need not submit an SAT or ACT score for your application to be considered. However, it is a STEM-based school, so you will need to have taken four years of math, including pre-calculus as an academic requirement. While the college application process may seem overwhelming, don’t worry– is here to help you tackle WPI’s 2018-2019 application! WPI is a school that prides itself on maintaining a global presence with over 40 project centers on 6 continents. Aligning with this aspect is WPI’s admissions essay: one that appears to embody the presence of a world that is growing more and more connected. Do you have an account on a blog website? A YouTube channel? Or maybe you even run your own website? If so, strongly consider providing the URL to it, if you are comfortable doing so. Here are some things you should keep in mind before you submit a URL: When you click on the link to a website, what do you notice first? Probably the interface and how user-friendly it is. If you are maintaining your own website, it will be of utmost importance to ensure that it is accessible. If your parents were handed a laptop with your website on the front screen, would they be able to navigate it? If you don’t think that you can confidently answer ‘yes’ to that question, it would be in your best interest to make updates to your website. For example, let’s say you are running a blog website on running. Instead of having all the different blogs and threads cluttered on one page, it would be helpful to organize them into several tabs or folders. For instance, categories could be Nutrition, Technique, Music, and Miscellaneous. Submit your essay and we’ll get back to you with helpful edits. If you maintain an account on YouTube or a blogging website, ask yourself if your content is appropriate and detailed. Would you be comfortable with your grandparents examining your online presence? Can someone who hasn’t met you glean aspects of your personality from your posts? For example, instead of writing ‘yes.’ as a response to a thread, you can back up your response with more detail. Write about that experience you had at the grocery store. Or maybe something interesting you learned from that Netflix show from the previous night. Of course, if you don’t have an online presence, that is perfectly acceptable; in fact, it’s why this essay prompt is optional! However, you should compensate for this with a strong Common Application essay . Make sure you detail your extracurricular activities so that admissions officers can understand how you contributed to each one, and build close relationships with your teachers so they can provide further insight into who you are as a person. Want help on your Worcester Polytechnic Institute application or essays? Learn about our College Apps Program . Want us to quickly edit your college essay? Submit it to our Rapid Review program , and we’ll get it back to you quickly with comments from our expert team.

Leadership Self Assessment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Leadership Self Assessment - Essay Example However, when I adopted the autocratic style of leadership, I noticed that it had made me build a shell around myself and had blocked people’s access to me in many ways. My sternness had provided people with reasons to think negatively about me. Since those were my initial days in the organization, I needed to thoroughly examine the organization to understand its culture, processes and systems and the autocratic style of leadership was serving as a hindrance in me achieving these. This also deterred me from making informed decisions since I did not have much awareness of the organizational systems and as an autocratic leader, it was not suitable to seek advice of my juniors. So I decided to change my approach. I slowly transformed my autocratic style of leadership into a democratic style. It was certainly not easy. More than a change in the style of leadership, it required me to bring a revolutionary change in my personality and image that I projected before my subordinates and followers. Although it did take me some time to bring this 180 degree change in my personality and image, yet it was not impossible to achieve. I used certain strategies and key principles to improve my level of communication and enrich my interaction with my subordinates and followers. The first step I took was opening communication channels with my subordinates and followers. I regularly arranged meetings in which I communicated them my views and opinions, and heard theirs also. I also added many of my subordinates and followers to my profile on Facebook and Twitter to foster greater understanding both ways. Adding them as friends not only helped me have a greater insight into their daily activities, interests, h obbies, and social life both within and beyond the workplace, it also helped them clarify their doubts about me and understand my personality better. Slowly, I noticed a change in their attitude toward me, and for the most part, the change was

Personal Statament for Bsc Drama School (Acting and some applications Statement

Statament for Bsc Drama School (Acting and some applications Mucical Theatre) - Personal Statement Example I had no passion in the job and so I had to quit and pursue acting. Recently, I got involved in armature theatre production and I have never been happier! I straight away new that this is where I want to be for the rest of my life. I feel that I have a lot to give. I am energetic, creative and emotional person with high energy levels. I have an enormous desire to learn the art of acting and it makes me truly content with myself. I feel I am able to capture the attention of the audience and through the knowledge I will get I will be able to perfect my skills and work to achieve better results. This coupled with my creative nature will boost my prospects and help me deliver amicably in acting filed in forthcoming years. There are some key concepts that I have learnt that will be important once I become active in drama. The first one is time keeping. Drama is a demanding career that requires ample time to rehearse and memorise the episodes that one will be involved in. This therefore calls for good time management skills that will ensure that I am always there in time to avoid missing any bit. Another concept is being organised. I have learnt to be organised as an actor as the picture one portrays to the audience may determine the success of the production. I have confidence and I a good communicator and I feel this will also work positively to boost my prospects as I work to become a high profile actor. Drama often involves working in a team. Having good communication skills ensures that one is able to fit in any team and deliver his mandate effectively. I will therefore use this to make my career in acting better. I have come to realize that life is not about the job which is the most financially rewarding but about realizing yourself in the field that one loves and can deliver the best it. So, I feel that now I have the maturity and experience to