Ikea Swot Analysis Essay Example for Free

Ikea Swot Analysis Essay Strengths: * IKEA offers a unique value proposition to its customers. It offers a wide range of well designed, functional products at low prices. The design begins with low costs from the outset, striking an ideal balance between function, quality, design, and price. * IKEA introduced the flat package which can be assembled by customers * IKEA has maintained long-term relationships with its suppliers, ensuring the company has access to high-quality materials at reasonable prices. Because of this, IKEA has some of the largest margins in the industry. * IKEA’s vision is to create a better everyday life for many people, putting the concerns for the environment and people at the heart of the business. Weaknesses: * The need for low cost products could lead to a possible compromise between quality and price. * IKEA is a global company, so product standards may be difficult to maintain. * Furniture needs assembly and not everyone has the tools, knowledge or strength to put the furniture together. The instructions for furniture assembly are just pictures. There are no words to accompany the instructions. Opportunities: * IKEA can further capitalize on the â€Å"green† movement and IKEA’s customer’s desires to have less of an impact on the environment. * IKEA is already reducing their carbon footprint by packing in less material. Threats: * Competition for IKEA comes from traditional furniture stores as well as stores like Target, Wal-Mart, Sears, and other similar stores that also sell household products and small furniture. * Some stores have already mirrored the flat package, low cost packed furniture model. * Slow down in first time home buyers, which is a core market segment for IKEA, as well as the recession will limit the amount of customers that walk into an IKEA store. Questions: 1.) IKEA is already opening stores in many locations all across the globe. IKEA offers low-cost products, mostly furniture that is packaged in low, flat boxes, which the purchaser would take with them to assemble at home. IKEA will also deliver their products and the package design saves on shipping charges as well as shelf space at the store. Customers enjoy the experience of shopping at IKEA. The restaurant allows IKEA customers to make a day of the shopping trip. The average customer drives 50 miles round trip to IKEA. The furniture comes in low, flat packaging that is relatively easy to take with you. When it comes to assembly however, the instruction usually only have pictures. This saves the company money, since IKEA is global and would need to print instructions in multiple languages. 2.) IKEA has a one-way design to it store. Customers walk through the different displays and can experience the entire store. At the end of the trip is the warehouse, which has the furniture packaged in the low, flat boxes. Customers can grab a cart and choose the items that they need or liked as they walked through the store. The displays are set up so you can see how the matching furniture looks together. You can sit in the chairs, open and close the drawers, and test out the furniture before you buy. IKEA does offer delivery for a low fee. The salesperson told me that I would have to buy one of everything in the store before the shipping price would increase; I believe the shipping price was $60 for everything in my order. One can also purchase the service of having someone come to your home to put the furniture together. However, customers looking to go in and grab something quickly will find the design and layout of the store cumbersome. Customers may also see something on display that they really enjoy, however, when they get to the warehouse, they might find the shelf empty. IKEA is able to find the sold out items at other locations, however customers need to travel to the other store to make the purchase (at least this was my experience). When the sold out item is not available, the customer might want to go back to the display and find a different set of match-able items, making the shopping experience even longer and more cumbersome.

The Dangers of Shirking Responsibility in Arthur Millers All My Sons

The Dangers of Shirking Responsibility  in Arthur Miller's All My Sons  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      Arthur Miller's All My Sons is a well-made play in every sense of that term. It not only is carefully and logically constructed, but   addresses its themes fully and effectively. The play communicates different ideas on war, materialism, family, and honesty. However, the main focus, especially at the play's climax, is the issue of personal responsibility. In particular, Miller demonstrates the dangers of shirking responsibility and, then, ascribing blame to others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Nearly every character in All My Sons, in one way or another, fails to take responsibility. The Keller family, as a whole, is severely dysfunctional in that they keep secrets and tell lies at every turn. Chris, the most reliable character, understands that his family has "made a terrible mistake with Mother . . . . Being dishonest with her" (Miller 620). He realizes that there are consequences to such behavior. Indeed, as a result, Kate is on the verge of being delusional. She clings to the unrealistic hope that her son, Larry, will return from the war and marry his childhood sweetheart, Ann. For these hopes to prove false would, in her eyes, show for certain that there is no God. She says, "'There's God, so certain things can never happen'" (627).   Ã‚  Ã‚   Yet Kate is not just a victim of this irresponsible behavior. She contributes to it. She, too, makes excuses for her actions, making it seem as though she cannot be any more culpable for her conduct than she already is. She tells Chris that she and Joe "'are stupid people. We don't know anything'" and tells Chris that he has to protect them (633). However, it is Joe who is the most irresponsible character within ... ...amily wanted money, he did it, and that's "got to excuse it! . . . [For] Nothin' is bigger," and he adds that "'if there's something bigger than that I'll put a bullet in my head!'" (649). That is what he does. Suicide is the sad, harrowing conclusion for him and his family because he had not faced up to his wrongs earlier.   Ã‚  Ã‚   Chris was, for the most part, the voice of wisdom in this play whose words of honesty and its importance should have been heeded. He states, "'That kind of thing always pays off, and now it's paying off'" (620). In the end, he does take his own words to heart that "there's a universe of people outside and you're responsible to it" (653). He begins to blame on himself for his father's suicide, and Kate tells him, "'Don't dear. Don't take it on yourself'" (653). Works Cited Miller, Arthur. ?All My Sons.? New York: Penguin Group, 2000.

The Courtesans of Bollywood

The media – whether in print, television, or the cinema – has portrayed women in all sorts of images. These images reflect how a certain society perceive women and what roles do they portray in reality. Women in Indian cinema have been variously depicted with different images which represent the division within the Indian society. Just like in any parts of the world, the classification between men and women has been distinct throughout history. Even in modern time, such classifications which further divide both sexes still exist in media because of the stereotypes that have been established.The Indian film industry, famously called as Bollywood, has effectively created films which encompassed the different faces of women in their nation. There are films that attributed them with Hindu goddesses and as well as portraying them as traditional and modern women from all division of the caste. The films that are made depicting women reflected India’s thoughts and behav ior towards sexuality and social norms. The media – despite of its tendency for exaggeration and sensationalism – draws its inspiration from real life’s circumstances, no matter how fictitious the story becomes.No matter how the characters of women are formed, their roles in the film say a lot about the current social perception of Indian Women. Two notable films in Bollywood will be the central discussion of this essay. Pakeezah (1972) and Devdas (2002) became well-known for the romantic plots amidst the struggles within social taboos combined with cinematic intensity and songs aptly made for the film. From these films, the heroines that will be given concentration belong to that level of society which is usually judged derogatively.Sahibjaan of Pakeezah and Chandramukhi from Devdas share the same profession of courtesans, and played major roles in the films showing how Indian courtesans are being personified. The discussion for the two female protagonists will revolve around their being courtesans and they symbolized India’s perception and direction of their views regarding sexuality and how their norms and social evolvement are shaped by these views. Courtesans, as seen from the films, cater to the public eye, predominantly of male audience. Their profession has been criticized by society as immoral and these women are usually isolated from the realm of an ideal woman.By exploring the two films, it will be argued how the views of courtesans are still relevant in the modern Indian society. To be able to convey the contents of the arguments for the established thesis statement, a brief background or summary of each movie will be provided. This is for the intent of giving a foundation or an origin where the standpoints will be derived. Second, there will be an attempt to categorize Indian courtesans which is distinct from courtesans of other countries. This will be connected to how the character of a courtesan became an embodiment o f India’s assumption towards sexuality.From this, Sahibjaan and Chandramukhi from the films will be subjected to analysis, comparing the differences of their roles as courtesans on the films. The essay will be concluded by gathering all the insights that have been discussed and as well as its implications on Indian society. The plot of both films is set in the conservative India where traditional elements are highly emphasized. One of the two films has been derived from a 1917 novella called Devdas. This film has many versions in different languages and the one directed by Sanjay Bhansali in 2002, is the latest and the first full colored version of the film.Devdas can be said as a classic love triangle story with the lives of the main characters closely intertwined with each other. The male protagonist Devdas came back from London to reconcile with his long-time childhood beloved Paro. The two has been arranged for marriage however, when the Paro’s maternal ancestry as dancers is revealed, her humiliated mother decided to arrange a marriage for Paro to another man. From that aspect the tragedy of the heart-broken Devdas ensues, as his college friend introduced him to the world of alcohol and carnal desires.The brothel where his friend brought him became his emotional solace or more of an emotional escapism. As Devdas began to indulge in alcoholism, he met the most famous courtesan named Chandramukhi. Her beauty and exquisite charm which made Chandramukhi as a renowned courtesan became an irresistible pull for Devdas to become close to her. On the other hand, his vulnerabilities as a man shown by his weakened state by the alcohol and the discovery of his supposed love story became the reason why Chandramukhi fell in love with him.The story takes its turn with Devdas being devoured by his alcoholic addiction and Chandramukhi’s love for him brought her to Paro to convince him to stop his self-destruction and subsequently formed a friendship w ith her. Though he did not listen, Devdas promised to see her before his death. Eventually, he confessed his love for Chandramukhi however shortly after that; he expressed his goodbye to her because of his intent to move out of the country. On his journey and with the last drink of wine, he became extremely sick. Feeling himself on the verge of death, he went to fulfill his promise to Paro to see her.Paro ran to meet him but her husband prohibited her and as Devdas dies in front of their gates, his last image is Paro trying to reach for him and screaming his name. It is a clear tragic story for the three characters as all of them are not able to achieve the happiness they wanted out of love. The dynamism of the story is presented by the diverse social upbringing of the characters. Devdas is born from the upper landowning class, while Paro came from an ordinary family whose lineage is from dancers, and Chandramukhi being a courtesan is judged by the society as immoral.The three main characters attempted to go beyond their social status as the purpose of love became their main source of strength to defy the social norms. The second film which similarly tackled defying social classifications in the name of love is, Pakeezah. Released in 1972, this film took 14 years to be completed due to personal issues between the main cast and the director. An original work of Kamal Amrohi, Pakeezah is a classic Indian courtesan movie. This film is a story about a woman who dreams of escaping a world where she felt worthless and soulless.Sahibjaan shared the same fate that her mother did, a profession which eventually led to the rejection of her father’s family. After her mother’s death, her aunt Nawabjaan adopted her and brought Sahibjaan to her brothel where she practiced dancing and singing. She became famous as a courtesan when she grew up, however, her aunt felt the need to get Sahibjaan out of the brothel when her father came searching for her. On the train ride out of the city Sahibjaan found a note that has been slipped between her toes where a stranger wrote about the beauty of her feet and not to soil it.This note became her hope to find rescue from the environment she desperately wants to escape. It also became her only evidence that this particular stranger is the only one who can love her truly and the note is her first real communication with someone who has a pure intention towards her. She was able to meet the stranger who is a forest ranger named Salim, and because of her fear that he might reject her, Sahibjaan kept her true identity. Salim brought her to his family however as men recognized Sahibjaan as the courtesan, Salim’s family disapproved.Despite of Sahibjaan’s confession about her work, Salim’s feelings did not change and both of them ran away together. He eventually decided to marry her, renaming Sahibjaan as Pakeezah meaning ‘the pure one. ’ However, her shame and fear as being a courtesan dominated her, and not wanting to ruin Salim’s reputation Sahibjaan fled from him and called off the marriage. Her decision has left Salim hurting and as a way of retaliation and coping with the pain, Salim decided to marry another woman and invited Sahibjaan for his wedding. In this part of the film, she danced on broken glasses practically symbolizing the pain that both of them share.A revelation has been made when Salim’s uncle, Shahabuddin, learns that Sahibjaan is his long-lost daughter and it resulted to a happy-ending for Sahibjaan, knowing that her father will save her from the world she wanted to get away from, and as well as a possibility for her love for Salim to be reconsidered. Just like the film Devdas, Pakeezah tells about a romantic story of a courtesan with a heart. Someone like Sahibjaan does not desire to be a courtesan forever and wanted to become a real woman by meeting her future husband and be a wife.There is also the familiar pattern of the characters disregarding their social status to be able to experience a relationship with one another. It leaves the impression of Indian movies such as these that the division of the caste system in reality is strictly followed. Pakeezah and Devdas are two classic Bollywood films which portrays the kind of women often degraded by the society. These films presented the courtesans with such humanity which goes beyond their profession of enticing and engaging their audience towards them.Courtesans can be said to have prominently existed way before the times of the monarchy. Indian courtesans are said to be â€Å"sexually liberated and educated women who dance in the temples and at public ceremonies and the only women who are allowed to learn to read, sing, and dance† (Feldman & Gordon, 2006, p. 161). Just like other courtesans in general, they are meant to entertain and offer their company to men. Their difference from prostitutes is that sexual intercourse is just one of their services. They engage in discussions, in festivals, and in the arts. Simone de Beauvoir further differentiates the two:Prostitutes need two kinds of men, client and protector. In her environment man is superior to woman, and this setting apart favors a kind of love-religion which explains the abnegation of certain prostitutes. For the courtesans, beauty and charm or sex appeal are necessary but not enough, she must be recognize as a person. Her pride, her independence, and her money mean that she will never be ‘taken’ – no man will be her absoluter master. † (cited in Kazmi, 1994, p. 237) From the two films, as courtesans their bodies became the attraction to be able to play the part.The dances and mujras by Sahibjaan and Chandramukhi are utilized to emphasize their body part and allure to entice men. As in Indian cinema, women are placed in the cast for the purpose of having something ‘pleasurable in the eyes’ on the screen. â€Å"In t heir traditional exhibitionist role, women are simultaneously looked at and displayed with their appearance coded for strong visual and erotic impact so that they can be said to connote to-be-looked-at-ness† (Kazmi , 1994, p. 234). Since their roles are courtesans, they are always under the scrutiny of their male clients.Their publicized sexuality makes them a property of the society. However, from the films, it can be seen that the courtesans fell in love with the male protagonists both coming from noble families. This love makes them as the hero’s property, thus, losing their â€Å"generalized sexuality and showgirl connotations† and their erotic charms are for the male protagonists alone (Kazmi, 1994, p. 234). That sense of property has not been made official since Sahibjaan and Chandramukhi are not seen married under traditional ceremonies.This gives the impression that India may not view courtesans as an ideal wife, no matter how the circumstances of falling in love may occur. In Devdas, Chandramukhi is seen as a feisty woman who holds her dignity as a courtesan. Despite of the numerous males gawking at her performance and by the harsh judgments which society throws at her, she never did want to become someone else or want anything other than Devdas. She has a strong image of a courtesan portrayed in the film. Chandramukhi can be classified as the classic courtesan who has lived by her destiny to please the public, though she is condemned by it.By the time that she became too attached with Devdas, her duty of pleasing many people has been devoted to please Devdas so he could ease his sufferings. Chandramukhi’s sacrifice of letting Devdas go symbolized her gratitude for him the moment he confessed that he loves her as well. Because that love is rarely given to a courtesan like her and the fact Devdas see her as a normal woman worthy of it, she devoted her life taking care of him and letting go of him in the end even if it entails her happiness (Nair, 2002, p. 86). On the other hand, Sahibjaan is portrayed as a courtesan struggling for an escape from the world she grew up with.Unlike Chandramukhi, Sahibjaan is a courtesan who wished to change her life and get out of her profession. However, the history of her mother’s life haunts her, encapsulating her in fear that she might never achieve the normal life that she wanted. A courtesan who pleases out of duty, the film focused on making her worthy of marriage. The scene where Salim renamed her as Pakeezah provided her the status that she is still worthy of being a wife despite of being a courtesan. She can be said as someone who subsequently gives in to the cruel prejudices of society.By refusing Salim’s offer of marriage, Sahibjaan continues to be a possession of the public, denying herself the happiness that she wanted to be rescued by the one man she loves. Nonetheless, both women have exuded strength when it comes to making choices. Though the y have been portrayed as weak for love and for rescue, they have made decisions which in their knowledge can deprive them of the happiness that they want. In society, since courtesans are made to please the world, sacrificing their own personal interests is a part of their duty.Thus, their role as a public commodity strips them off the right to be part of the private sphere, which includes the family. The courtesans of Indian cinema maybe considered as the origin of independent women in Indian society. A courtesan is said to have â€Å"the courage to confront society, established morality, and the powers that be† (Kazmi, 1994, p. 231). That the courtesans in these films are the early embodiments of empowering women’s sexuality when it comes to breaking social norms, since in the conservative Indian nation courtesans or good women alike, are considered marginalized.Courtesans can be viewed as the mortal goddesses of the Indian society who can personify evil and goodness in how sexuality is perceived. References Feldman, M. , & Gordon, B. (2006). The Courtesan’s Art. New York: Oxford University Press. Kazmi, F. (1994). Muslim Socials and the Female Protagonist: Seeing a Dominant Discourse at Work. In Forging Identities: Gender, Communities, and the State, (pp. 226-243). Zoya, H. (Ed. ). New Delhi: Kali for Women. Nair, P. K. (2002). â€Å"The Devdas Syndrome in Indian Cinema. † Cinemaya 56/57, Autumn/Winter : 827.

The Legal Framework Within The Area Of Equal Opportunities

The Legal Framework Within the Area of Equal Opportunities The legal framework within the region of the equal opportunities is aimed at encouraging recognition and banning any form of discrimination and its causes, it supports and puts in place progressive awareness of equality in the community. The law requires people to be given equal opportunities regardless of their personal characteristics and backgrounds. The Equal Opportunities Act 2010, brought together some anti discriminatory laws to make it simple for people to understand their rights and duty to society as well as the enforcement of fair treatment for all including targeting and fighting discrimination against people because of their personal characteristics or choices. The†¦show more content†¦These may include being treated differently because of a person’s race, ability, age, gender or sexuality. Oppression is denying or undermining a person’s human rights. It is when those in authority uses their power to limit other people’s freedom and reducing people’s potential to be able to fully exercise their human rights. This can be caused by our cultural, traditional practices, or social norms within a society. Some forms of oppressive practices are interpersonal, racial, human, and institutional. (i). Interpersonal oppression affects people because it gives priority to one group over the other. Whereby the one group is allowed to control other group members. The dominant group has permission to ill treat or disrespect certain group members, such as women regarded less able in some societies and they cannot do what men can do because they are a weak species. This oppression gets structured into institutions and organisations where patterns can be visible, whereby male applicants are favourable for top job positions, even though their qualification were equally well as to that of a female applicant for that same job position because they are traditionally believed to work more effectively than women. (ii). Racial oppression is when a certain group of people is treated unfavourably because of their race. Racial oppression can be systematic, social, institutional or internal. This group is subjected to unfair orShow MoreRelatedThe Issues Of Discrimination And Harassment1575 Words   |  7 Pagesof Discrimination and Harassment, in particular, the legal obligations, protection and resources available to human service clients, within Australia and specifically Queensland. 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