Tragedy Of Julius Caesar Essays (524 words) -

Tragedy Of Julius Caesar Shakespeare's Julius Caesar is the story of the resulting conflicts from the assassination of perpetual dictator and Roman emperor, Julius Caesar. A great friend of Caesar, Mark Antony, comes to the senate to see the dead body of their dictator. He pretends to not be angry at those who took part in the assassination, and asks to speak at his funeral, a request which he is granted. However, after the men leave, he begins a soliloquy in which he suggests that Caesar's spirit will take revenge upon his murderers and invoke a war involving the entire country. Antony begins the revenge of his death by speaking at the funeral about the wrong done to Caesar, the man's generosity to the people, and how Brutus tried to persuade them to believe his justification of the murder. The crowd turns to agreement with Antony and then accuse the conspirators of murder. The accused men flee, eventually leaving the bounds of the city, and the citizens leave to loot and burn the houses of the guilty men. The armies of Brutus and Cassius set up camps near another city and knowing that Antony's soldiers are coming, they decide to march toward the enemy at once. The fighting begins with the confrontation of the two sides, as Cassius' and Brutus' armies arrive. Antony and his partner challenge the assassins to fight, and the bloody battle begins. The armies of the conspirators fall into vulnerability many times, and their side does poorly, losing many men. Cassius hears mistakenly that one of his important soldiers has been captured, loses hope, and commits suicide, while Brutus feels that his army has been cornered, and throws himself onto another man's sword, killing himself also. They call off the rest of the battle, for Antony's army now had victory over Brutus and Cassius, Caesar's murder had been avenged, and order had been restored. CHARACTERS: There are a couple of main characters in this story. Caesar is well liked by the citizens of Rome, yet is a somewhat arrogant man and believes himself to be above everybody else. He is given praise often and honored by events such as a holiday in his name. However, several men do not agree that Caesar should have such a high title, as they despise his character. These six men conspire to kill the emperor to end what they see as his tyranny and oppression in Rome. A man named Cassius organizes the event, while a powerful figure, Brutus, persuades Caesar to come to the senate, where he is to be killed. While the emperor argues with one of the conspirators, a man named Casca stabs him in the back, and the other men follow and wound him with their swords until he falls to the ground, dead. EVALUATION: In this play, Shakespeare gave morals to the audience about right and wrong and acting upon one's opinion. He showed that one should not bring death to someone else based on their personal desires, or whether they believe it is in the best interest of their society, for they are only one person out of the many who have a voice. He also implies that if one commits an act of wrong, justified, or not, they can expect to be punished for it by the others who were hurt by those actions.

How Long Does It Take to Get SAT Scores Back

How Long Does It Take to Get SAT Scores Back SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Don't you wish you could find out how you scored on the SAT right after you finish taking the test? Or maybe you'd like to forget all about it and pretend it never happened (better luck next time)! Either way, your wait time for your SAT scores will bethe same: somewhere between two and sixweeks. This article fills you in on all the details of SAT score reporting and offers some advice for what to do once you get your scores. When Do You Get Your SAT Scores? How long does it take to get SAT scores back? It's a good question, and one that's on everybody's minds after the exam. SAT multiple-choice scores are released 13 days after you take the SAT. (One exception is the June test date, which typically has a score release date about five weeks after the test.) If you took theSAT with Essay, you'll receive your Essay score two to five days after you receive your multiple-choice scores (so about 15-18 days after you took the SAT). After about a year of having longer waits (between three and six weeks) to receive SAT scores, the College Board has revamped its schedule to give you your scores sooner. Yay! Now, the actual time of SAT score release varies. Sometimes it's as early as 5 am Eastern Time (2 am Pacific Time). I wouldn't advise refreshing your account over and over at 4:59 (or 1:59 for you West Coasters) since the release time isn't always exact. Your colleges will get your scores within 10 days after you receive them(if you've indicated them as score recipients). Check out the chart below for exact score release dates by test date. 2019-21 SAT Score Release by Test Dates The chart below shows when you'll be able to see your SAT scores for each test date in the 2019-20 testing year. These score release dates have all been confirmed by the College Board. As you'll see in the chart, for each of these test dates (except June 1st), you'll get your multiple-choice results just 13 days after you take the SAT, and your Essay score (if you took it) two to five days after that. Your SAT score results will be sent to the colleges you indicated within 10 days of you getting your scores. However, for the June test day, you'll have to wait about five weeks before receiving your multiple-choice results. 2019-20 SAT Score Release by Test Dates Test Date Multiple-Choice Scores Release Essay Score Release Multiple-Choice Scores Sent to Colleges By Scores w/ Essay Sent to Colleges By 6/1/2019 7/10/2019 7/12/2019-7/15/2019 7/20/2019 7/22/2019-7/25/2019 8/24/2019 9/6/2019 9/8/2019-9/13/2019 9/16/2019 9/18/2019-9/23/2019 10/5/2019 10/18/2019 10/20/2019-10/23/2019 10/28/2019 10/30/2019-/01/2019 /2/2020 /15/2019 /17/2019-/20/2019 /25/2019 /27/2019-/30/2019 12/7/2020 12/20/2019 12/22/2019-12/25/2019 12/30/2019 1/1/2020-1/3/2020 3/14/2020 3/27/2020 3/29/2020-4/1/2020 4/6/2020 4/8/2020-4//2020 5/2/2020 5/15/2020 5/17/2020-5/20/2020 5/15/2020 5/27/2020-5/30/2020 6/6/2020 7/15/2020 7/15/2020-7/17/2020 7/25/2020 7/25/2020-7/27/2020 We also have anticipated score release dates for the 2020-2021 school year, calculated based on past years' score releases. We'll update these as more information becomes available. 2020-21 SAT Score Release by Test Dates (Anticipated) Test Date Multiple-Choice Scores Release Essay Score Release Multiple-Choice Scores Sent to Colleges By Scores w/ Essay Sent to Colleges By Aug 29 Sep Sep 13-16 Sep 21 Sep 23-26 Oct 3 Oct 16 Oct 18-21 Oct 26 Oct 28-31 Nov 7 Nov 20 Nov 22-24 Nov 30 Dec 2-5 Dec 7 Dec 20 Dec 23-25 Dec 25 Dec 27-30 Mar 13 March 26 Mar 28-31 Apr 5 Apr 7-10 May 8 May 21 May 23-26 May 31 June 2-June 5 June 5 July 10 July 12-15 July 20 July 22-25 These dates are when most students will get their SAT scores, but an unlucky few might have to wait longer.They might sign into their College Board accounts to find that their scores still aren't ready. What are some possible reasons why your scores wouldn't show up on score-release day? Where in the world are your SAT scores? What If Your SAT Scores Haven't Been Released? There are a few possible explanations if your SAT scores aren't released on test day. None are especially common, so I wouldn't worry too much about any of them happening to you! Read on for the fourmain causes of score delays. Cause1: Random Test Audit The most random reason would be if the College Board decided to do a random audit of tests to ensure scoring accuracy and your test got chosen. If that were the case, you'd have to wait longer for your scores, but they'd eventually get sent to you. If you didn't get an email or letter from the College Board (they're a fan of sending information out by mail, for some reason), you could give your regional College Board office a call. Be prepared to be transferred and put on hold for a while, though. If you can't tell, I haven't had the best customer service when it comes to the College Board. Cause2: Red Flags on Your Test Another possible reason is that your test was flagged because you improved by an unusually large number of points, such as 400 or 500 points. If your SAT score goes up hundreds of points between test administrations, the College Board might hold your test to check for scoring accuracy or signs of cheating. I worked with an ESL student whose scores were withheld after he improved a few hundred points. We sent in letters on his behalf about all the prep he'd done between tests, but the College Board still canceled his scores in the end. In addition to helping you solve problems while you're taking the SAT, it's a good idea to show your work in your test booklet in the event that this happens to you. This way you can more easily prove that you didn't cheat. In these circumstances, or if a teacher reports cheating, the College Board might compare your answers with the answers of those sitting next to you to try to rule out any foul play. Cause3: Irregularities at Your Testing Site Another possible reason for score delay would be irregularities at the testing site. As an example, this happened during the June 6, 2015 SAT, when some students got an extra five minutes on what should have been a 20-minute section. Cause4: They're Just Being Slow Finally, the reason might simply be that theCollege Board is running behind. They have a ton of tests to grade from students all over the US and world. If you know other students from your testing center or even testing room who've gotten back their scores, you should take action: call the College Board to try to get to the bottom of it. Speaking of which, how do you know whether others have received their SAT scores? Guys, what's the news? Where to Check If Others Have Received Their SAT Scores On plenty of discussion forums, students get up early (or stay up late, depending on the time zone) and count down to the exact moment when their SAT scores are released. The most up-to-date threads can be found on College Confidential, on which you can create an account and play your part in the waiting game. Again, release times vary,so there's really no use getting stressed and losing sleep over it. Your scores will be there when you wake up in the morning! For students who test at their schools with their peers, you'll likely hear through general word of mouth who got their scores (and whether they were psyched or disappointed). Make sure to have your College Board username and password on hand so you can easily sign into your account and view your scores. You can also see whether colleges got your scores. Just go to the "My Scores Sent To" page. If they were sent, the page will say "received" for each college. If not, it will say "pending." Once you get your SAT scores, you can decide whether you're satisfied with the outcome or want (and have time) to retake the test. Do your SAT scores give you a happy face or a sad face? What to Do Once You Receive Your SAT Scores While you shouldn't stay up all night wondering, "When will I get my SAT scores?" and trying to will your scores to appear on-screen, you'll benefit from checking the same day they're released. Why? The sooner you check, the sooner you can figure out whether you're satisfied with your scores or see room for improvement. Here are two options for what to do once you get your SAT scores: Option 1: Send Additional Score Reports to Colleges If you're satisfied with your scores and have more than four schools to send them to, startsending additional score reports to colleges. Make sure to send these colleges your SAT scores as soon as you can so that your colleges will receive them before the application deadline. Additional score reports are not free and cost $12 per report (if you were eligible for a registration fee waiver, however, you can get these reports free as well). If you need your scores to get to your colleges sooner, you can opt for rush reporting, which costs an extra $31 (on top of the $12 per report). This service sends score reports to schools within two to four business days. Option 2: Retake the SAT Not satisfied with your scores? If you have time before yourcollege application deadlinesand will put in the effort to prep, it's a good idea toretake the SAT. You can base your decision to retest on several factors.Ask yourself these questionsin order to determine whether you would benefit from taking the SAT again: What's your target score? How much prep have you already put in? How much more time do you have to prepare before your next test? How many times have you already taken the SAT, and what improvement have you seen? On a related note, because a lot of colleges superscore the SAT, you won't have to worry about accidentally scoring worse on one or more sections. (If you're prepping effectively, however, this is unlikely anyway!) Make sure to send your official score reports to all your colleges. Recap: When Do You Get Your SAT Scores? In closing, let's go over the most important points to remember about receiving your SAT scores. After you finish taking the SAT, you'll have to wait about two weeks to get your scores back (five weeks if taking the June SAT). If you took the SAT with Essay, expect to get your Essay score a few days after you get your multiple-choice scores online. You can check to see whether others have gotten their SAT scores by browsing online forums such as College Confidential or by talking with your peers at school. Once you get your scores, your two main options are to either send additional score reports to schools (if satisfied with your scores) or sign up for a retake (if dissatisfied with your scores). Don't forget to factor any extra time you need into your plans so you can ensure your scores will be able to get to your schools in time! What's Next? After you get your SAT scores, you can decide if you're satisfied or if you want to test again. But what exactly are you aiming to score? This article goes over what low scores, good scores, and excellent scores are. Check it out so you can determine your own target SAT score. Are you looking to improve your score on a specific section of the SAT? Read our advice and strategies for improving your scores on the SATReading, Writing, and Math sections. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points? We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Biography of Field Marshal Walter Model, WWII German Commander

Biography of Field Marshal Walter Model, WWII German Commander Born January 24, 1891, Walter Model was the son of a music teacher in Genthin, Saxony. Seeking a military career, he entered an army officer cadet school in Neisse in 1908. A middling student, Model, graduated in 1910 and was commissioned as a lieutenant in the 52nd Infantry Regiment. Though possessing a blunt personality and often lacking tact, he proved a capable and driven officer. With the outbreak of World War I in 1914, Models regiment was ordered to the Western Front as part of the 5th Division. The following year, he won the Iron Cross, First Class for his actions in combat near Arras. His strong performance in the field garnered the attention of his superiors, and he was selected for a posting with the German General Staff the following year. Leaving his regiment after the initial stages of the Battle of Verdun, Model attended the required staff courses. Returning to the 5th Division, Model became adjutant of the 10th Infantry Brigade before commanding companies in the 52nd Regiment and the 8th Life Grenadiers. Elevated to captain in November 1917, he received the House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords for bravery in combat. The following year, Model served on the staff of the Guard Ersatz Division before finishing the conflict with the 36th Division. With the end of the war, Model applied to be part of the new, small Reichswehr. Already known as a gifted officer, his application was aided by a connection to General Hans von Seeckt who was tasked with organizing the postwar army. Accepted, he aided in putting down a Communist revolt in the Ruhr during 1920. Interwar Years Settling into his new role, Model married Herta Huyssen in 1921. Four years later, he received a transfer to the elite 3rd Infantry Division where he aided in testing new equipment. Made a staff officer for the division in 1928, Model lectured widely on military topics and was promoted to major the following year. Advancing in the service, he was shifted to the Truppenamt, a cover organization for the German General staff, in 1930. Pushing hard to modernize the Reichswehr, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1932 and colonel in 1934. After serving as a battalion commander with the 2nd Infantry Regiment, Model joined the General Staff in Berlin. Remaining until 1938, he then became chief of staff for IV Corps before being elevated to brigadier general a year later. Model was in this role when World War II began on September 1, 1939. World War II Advancing as part of Colonel General Gerd von Rundstedts Army Group South, IV Corps took part in the invasion of Poland that fall. Promoted to major general in April 1940, Model served as chief of staff for Sixteenth Army during the Battle of France in May and June. Again impressing, he earned command of the 3rd Panzer Division that November. An advocate of combined arms training, he pioneered the use of kampfgruppen which saw the formation of ad-hoc units consisting of armor, infantry, and engineers. As the Western Front quieted after the Battle of Britain, Models division was shifted east for the invasion of the Soviet Union. Attacking on June 22, 1941, the 3rd Panzer Division served as part of Colonel General Heinz Guderians Panzergruppe 2. On the Eastern Front Surging forward, Models troops reached the Dnieper River on July 4, a feat which won him the Knights Cross, before executing a highly-successful crossing operation six days later. After breaking up Red Army forces near Roslavl, Model turned south as part of Guderians thrust in support of German operations around Kiev. Spearheading Guderians command, Models division linked up with other German forces on September 16 to complete the encirclement of the city. Promoted to lieutenant general on October 1, he was given command of XLI Panzer Corps which was taking part in the Battle of Moscow. Arriving at his new headquarters, near Kalinin, on November 14, Model found the corps severely hampered by the increasingly cold weather and suffering from supply issues. Working tirelessly, Model restarted the German advance and reached a point 22 miles from the city before the weather forced a halt. On December 5, the Soviets launched a massive counterattack which forced the Germans back from Moscow. In the fighting, Model was tasked with covering the Third Panzer Groups retreat to the Lama River. Skillful in defense, he performed admirably. These efforts were noticed, and in early 1942 he received command of the German Ninth Army in the Rzhev salient and was promoted to general. Though in a precarious position, Model worked to strengthen his armys defenses as well as began a series of counterattacks against the enemy. As 1942 progressed, he succeeded in encircling and destroying the Soviet 39th Army. In March 1943, Model abandoned the salient as part of a wider German strategic effort to shorten their lines. Later that year, he argued that the offensive at Kursk should be delayed until newer equipment, such as the Panther tank, was available in large numbers. Hitlers Fireman Despite Models recommendation, the German offensive at Kursk began on July 5, 1943, with Models Ninth Army attacking from the north. In heavy fighting, his troops were unable to make substantial gains against the strong Soviet defenses. When the Soviets counterattacked a few days later, Model was forced back, but again mounted a stiff defense in the Orel salient before withdrawing behind the Dnieper. At the end of September, Model left the Ninth Army and took a three month long leave in Dresden. Becoming known as Hitlers Fireman for his ability to rescue bad situations, Model was ordered to take over Army Group North in late January 1944 after the Soviets lifted the Siege of Leningrad. Fighting numerous engagements, Model stabilized the front and conducted a fighting withdrawal to the Panther-Wotan Line. On March 1, he was elevated to field marshal. With the situation in Estonia calmed, Model received orders to take over Army Group North Ukraine which was being driven back by Marshal Georgy Zhukov. Halting Zhukov in mid-April, he was shuttled along the front to take command of Army Group Centre on June 28. Facing immense Soviet pressure, Model was unable to hold Minsk or reestablish a cohesive line west of the city. Lacking troops for much of the fighting, he was finally able to halt the Soviets east of Warsaw after receiving reinforcements. Having effectively shored up the bulk of the Eastern Front during the first half of 1944, Model was ordered to France on August 17 and given command of Army Group B and made commander-in-chief of OB West (German Army Command in the West). On the Western Front Having landed in Normandy on June 6, Allied forces shattered the German position in the region during Operation Cobra. Arriving at the front, he initially wished to defend the area around Falaise, where a portion of his command was nearly encircled, but relented and was able to extricate many of his men. Though Hitler demanded that Paris be held, Model responded that it was not possible without an additional 200,000 men. As these were not forthcoming, the Allies liberated the city on August 25 as Models forces retired towards the German frontier. Unable to adequately juggle the responsibilities of his two commands, Model willingly ceded OB West to von Rundstedt in September. Establishing Army Group Bs headquarters at Oosterbeek, Netherlands, Model was successful in limiting Allied gains during Operation Market-Garden in September, and the fighting saw his men crush the British 1st Airborne Division near Arnhem. As the fall progressed, Army Group B came under attack from General Omar Bradleys 12th Army Group. In intense fighting in the HÃ ¼rtgen Forest and Aachen, American troops were forced to pay a heavy cost for each advance as they sought to penetrate the German Siegfried Line (Westwall). During this time, Hitler presented von Rundstedt and Model with plans for a massive counter-offensive designed to take Antwerp and knock the western Allies out of the war. Not believing the plan to be feasible, the two unsuccessfully offered a more limited offensive option to Hitler. As a result, Model moved forward with Hitlers original plan, dubbed Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein (Watch on the Rhine), on December 16. Opening the Battle of the Bulge, Models command attacked through the Ardennes and initially made swift gains against the surprised Allied forces. Combating poor weather and acute shortages of fuel and ammunition, the offensive was spent by December 25. Pressing on, Model continued attacking until January 8, 1945, when he was forced to abandon the offensive. Over the next several weeks, Allied forces steadily reduced the bulge the operation had formed in the lines. Final Days Having angered Hitler for failing to capture Antwerp, Army Group B was directed to hold every inch of ground. Despite this proclamation, Models command was steadily pushed back to and across the Rhine. The Allied crossing of the river was made easier when German forces failed to destroy the key bridge at Remagen. By April 1, Model and Army Group B were encircled the Ruhr by the US Ninth and Fifteenth Armies. Trapped, he received orders from Hitler to turn the region into a fortress and destroy its industries to prevent their capture. While Model ignored the latter directive, his attempts at defense failed as Allied forces cut Army Group B in two on April 15. Though asked to surrender by Major General Matthew Ridgway, Model refused. Unwilling to surrender, but not wishing to throw away the lives of his remaining men, Model ordered Army Group B dissolved. After discharging his youngest and oldest men, he told the remainder that they could decide for themselves whether to surrender or attempt to break through the Allied lines. This move was denounced by Berlin on April 20, with Model and his men being branded as traitors. Already contemplating suicide, Model learned that the Soviets intended to prosecute him for alleged war crimes pertaining to concentration camps in Latvia. Departing his headquarters on April 21, Model attempted to seek death at the front with no success. Later in the day, he shot himself in a wooded area between Duisburg and Lintorf. Initially buried there, his body was moved to a military cemetery in Vossenack in 1955.

Case Problem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Case Problem - Essay Example In this essay, the aim is to argue that in the case of Isabella vs. Cato, the former can successfully, enforce the latter’s promise. The background of this case is that Cato promised Isabella $40,000 upon enrolment and subsequent graduation from college to which the latter successfully does. Upon demand of the honoring of the promise, Cato cites lack of contract and enforceability. In this case, Cato cannot denounce the contract because Isabella has honored her part. According to US constitution, â€Å"If an oral contract that cannot be fulfilled within one year has been fully performed, the contract is fully enforceable (regardless of how long performance actually took)† (National Paralegal College, p.12) Had Isabella failed to enroll or fail to graduate from the college, Cato would have legal grounds to overlook the contracts. If one party fails to honor their part of bargain there has to be a case (National Paralegal College, p.12). In other words, if Isabella despite failure to graduate still demanded the $40000 promise, Cato would not pay. Conversely, now that she graduated, Cato has to honor the promise. Worth noting is the fact that a contract does not necessarily need to be in a written form to become enforceable. Nevertheless, it is vitally important to understand that in United States, some contracts have to be in form of writing. As for the Cato –Isabella case, this is not one of the cases requiring such

The banking crisis of 2007-2008 precipitated the deepest global Essay

The banking crisis of 2007-2008 precipitated the deepest global recession since the 1930s and has led to calls for significantly - Essay Example In this case, obviously something went wrong somewhere or the signs were ignored. Part I of the paper will critically assess whether or not this crisis has fundamentally undermined the corporate governance frameworks in both the UK and USA. Part II of the paper will assess how to change the current frameworks to lessen the likelihood of a recurrence in the future. PART I: The Banking Crisis of 2007-2008 and its Impact on World Economies It all started with an excess of lending in the mortgage sector of the USA. The economy was going well and life was good. It seemed that the good times were here to last and there was no letting up. In the UK things were largely happening in a similar vein. Lending on mortgage loans had assumed alarming proportions as had consumer credit; it was said that the UK economy in 2007-2008 was the most indebted in the world (UK House Building Market Report, July 2010). Bankers were even giving housing loans to consumers whose credit history was patchy- meani ng that they had defaulted on loans in the past and were likely to default again- and pocketing fees and commissions in the process. This is called the sub-prime mortgage sector. And then it finally happened. Bankers who had previously considered even people with a bad credit history as good enough for taking a loan now began to cut back on lending in the interests of risk control and compliance. As the economy shrunk and credit dried up, bankers began to call on the sub-prime mortgages and the consumers were left with nowhere to turn to. Imagine their predicament as interest rates rose up and they had to give up their houses because they could not pay up the loan instalments. It was havoc and pandemonium in the housing sector. As the crisis deepened, the banks that had not provided adequately for bad debts in the real estate sector were adversely affected. Merrill Lynch and Lehman Brothers in the USA and Northern Rock in the UK were institutions that were brought down by the crisis ; others like Royal Bank of Scotland were forced to sell off parts of their businesses, divest and re-organize themselves. For institutions like international banks, who have diversified their investment portfolios across the world in different continents to spread risk, it was inevitable that their holdings were impacted in some way or the other. AIG and Citibank in the USA, Deutsche Bank in Europe, Citigroup in the USA and Standard Chartered in the UK were all offered stimulus packages that have helped them recover rather than join the ranks of the bankrupt companies. To date in excess of 400 small and large banks have had to bite the dust. At the Heart of the Crisis At the heart of the banking crisis lies the root cause of it all. Actually it is never one factor but a combination of factors that interact or add on to the unfolding crisis and make it inevitable. Prior to the 1930s crash was the period of the Roaring Twenties, a time of unprecedented growth and stability. People ha d borrowed against everything they had and even resorted to margin trading to take advantage of the stock market boom. It seemed that the bull market would last forever. But by July 8, 1932 the DJIA had lost 88 percent of its value and closed at 41.22, its lowest point in the 20th century. By 1933 the depression

Strategic Management Of Mcdonalds Fast Food Company Uk Marketing Essay

Strategic Management Of Mcdonalds Fast Food Company Uk Marketing Essay McDonald Corporation is among the largest chain of fast food restaurants in the United Kingdom. It primarily sells French fires, chicken, hamburgers, soft drinks and breakfast. This paper draws on the view that McDonalds fast food continue to remain competitive in the fast food market niche by virtue of strategic management which sees it improving the taste of sandwiches as well as introducing a menu lost that is new for its customers. To understand the success of McDonald over the years, it is important to note the strategic management of the fast food corporation in the UK. Part of the strategic drive of McDonalds to increase its competitive edge has been to overhaul the system of food preparation and as evidenced in its recent food preparation system dubbed Made For You, McDonald developed a mutual relationship with its customers since fresher as well as hotter food are delivered to customers; an aspect that leads to more consumption of McDonalds food (Stuart et al, 2007). The ove rall point in the strategic thinking and management of McDonalds rests on the enhanced flexibility on its customer service, business model, reaching and analyzing the strategic edge in light of competitive advantage and business level strategies. This paper seeks to analyze the wider environment in which McDonalds operates competition within the fast food industry, strategic focus, and how to address challenges that occur within the industry. Introduction McDonalds Fast Food Company is among the largest food service retail corporation. Known for its hot and fresh fries, hamburgers, burgers and soft drinks, McDonalds operates about 30,000 restaurants in over 199 countries. In the UK, a majority of the McDonalds operates on the franchise basis. The strategic focus and organizational management has positioned McDonalds to compete effectively in an already competitive industry and thus edge a competitive base in the industrial environment and enjoy a market niche for its business. Customers visit its outlet on the daily basis because of the ability of McDonalds to create a companys image that enhances people to get accustomed to the culture of fats food (McDonalds Corporation, 2010). As such, there is an apt customer base which McDonalds uses as a market entry strategy. Together with advertising companies that leaves the brand image in the consumers mind, McDonalds continue not only to penetrate the market but also expand their market siz e. As a result, there are a number of strategies that McDonald builds on to remain competitive in the industry and achieve t business and organizational objective. McDonalds Company Overview As one of the largest fast food corporation in the UK that concentrates on burgers, French fries, soft foods and breakfast, McDonalds has in the most recent introduced salads, snack wraps, fruits and carrot sticks. McDonald is a business that dates back in 1940. It was an idea that grew and became operational as the two brothers Mac McDonald and Dick opened a restaurant in the United States (Walsh, 2009) .The first McDonalds operated on the principle of modern fast food restaurant which later spread across Europe. The present McDonald is as a result of the successful expansion of the McDonald into a host of fast food markets. The company has become the symbol of globalization and it prominence in the UK is based on the concept of consumer responsibility as well as corporate ethics (McDonalds Corporation, 2010). Essentially, McDonald serves approximately one million customers every day. Business Environment and Analysis of McDonalds The environment in which McDonalds operates is very competitive that managers have been forced to adopt a strategic framework upon which they exercise their ability to identify, cultivate as well as exploit the core competencies that ensures that there is business and market growth. Thompson (2005) asserts that in order to arrive at this strategic threshold, McDonalds as a corporation has been the focus of the strategic policy formulation. In addition, Brown (2002) points out that there is no way in which the organization can exist in the vacuum. In this sense, McDonalds operate within a competitive environment and the foundation of its strategic management rests on its ability to analyze its competitor in the fast food industry. As a result, this not only enables McDonalds to realize its strengths and weakness but also help it to formulate a position on which it identifies the opportunities that are present for the organizations well as the threats it can face from its wider industr ial environment. This strategic analysis best positions McDonalds in its market niche and is thus a strategy that reflects the best march for McDonalds strategic management. The competencies exhibited by McDonalds form yet another aspect of its overall strategic management. Parsa (2002) contends that as one of the largest food chain companies in the UK, it defines its success from its strengths and opportunities. This is the distinctive competitive strategy that enhances the corporations competitive advantage in the market. A case in point is the financial opportunities, market leadership, image of the company to the market as well as the relationship between the company and its customer forms the strengths as well as opportunities than McDonald has achieved on its wider strategic management plan. To achieve an enhanced and more profitable market niche, McDonalds creates a successful image in the customers minds and draws from it mission and vision statement to introduce to widespread customers a culture of fast food. This is evidenced by the fundamental concept that it serves over one million customers in UK per day and continues to add on its menu a new list of fast food items prepared. Furthermore, customer care relations, delivery speed as well as high hygienic conditions make the basic strengths on which McDonalds expands on. Cole (2003) articulates that McDonald has created a corporate symbol that is reinforced by the advertisement campaigns in the UK. Accordingly, it builds on this pedestal to foundationally establish a brand image that has remained in the minds of millions of people living in the UK. As such, the brand image positions McDonalds an edge higher than its major competitor in the food chain industries and its marketing strategies successfully addresses impo rtant business operations factors such as internal resources and the core competencies in relation to the external environment in which it operates (Kendrick, 2008). Moreover, business analysts have maintained that the product value of McDonalds has contributed to the strategic focus of its operations. With regard to this, customers are aware of what to expect from the McDonalds restaurants whenever they visit the McDonalds. This gives emphasis on the fact that human resource draws their satisfaction from satisfying their customers and keeps the employees ready to adopt the innovative strategy of the company where they introduce newer products in the market in a bid to remain on edge with the newer tastes and trends of its customers and market size. The diversity of McDonalds into other related business forms the framework on which economists regard the McDonalds as the successful corporate group within the fast food industry (Enz, 2009). Competitive Environment within the Operations of McDonalds Every fast food restaurant operating whether as an organization or individual business is aimed at creating a new wave in the performance; all aimed towards implementing and sustaining the brand quality and the innovation of the business plan. Many fast food restaurants in the UK continue to analyze the external as well as internal business opportunities and therefore develop marketing plans that see them with a major market shares. These make food chain industry a very competitive industry in the UK. According to Hetrick et al (2006), McDonalds appreciates that competition for market place is stiff and has tasked its management to constantly communicate, compare their services with those of other fast food restaurants and finally improve on their service delivery and incorporate the developments of technology such as the internet to basically motivate their clients and improve on the overall center performance. In addition, many fast food organizations undoubtedly enhance their food production which makes it futile to use the product quality alone as the marketing strategy. As this may create a scenario where you are rated average, McDonalds has gone a notch higher in edging its competitive advantage by modifying every marketing and business strategy to suit its vision statement. As such, Heath and Palacher (2008) argues that bearing in mind the already available resources is one point towards success but making use of all the primary competencies has enabled McDonalds to sustain its place in the competitive market. Accordingly, as the chief executive officer of McDonalds said, the world has extensively changed and so have the customers. This calls for a dire need for any business organization to change in light with the customers change (Walsh, 2009). McDonalds Competitive Position within the Food Chain Industry McDonalds has achieved the title of the leading and largest fast food restaurant in the UK from its overall strategic management concept of sustainable competitive market. With emphasis, this strategic policy has been behind the McDonalds ability to make it difficult for other food chain industries to penetrate its stronghold marketplace. Hill and Jones (2007) explain that McDonalds competitive position is attributed to its dynamic customer care relations, brand imaging, cost structure as well as its patent. With regard to this, the organizational as well as the managerial process has centered on sharing coordination and integration to formulate policies that drives the McDonalds on the pedestal of success. Believing in the customer and product value, McDonalds has created a situation where every employee strives to work for the common goal. Similarly, McDonald, through its strategic management has demonstrated its strength in being able to learn and execute changes according to the needs of the markets. From this conceptualization, it has commanded a competitive position by being flexible to change within the milieu of technological developments and customer trends (Stuart et al, 2007). As such, Kendrick (2008) further postulates that a case in point for McDonalds success and market position falls on the paradigm of its long time organizational culture of concentrating on its advantage such as organizational behaviors as well as expertise to achieve success in every aspect of its objective. In the past, McDonald paid little attention on the concept of competitive advantage and thus even though it opened many outlets across Britain, its revenue did not change to the better. The structural, technological and financial assets are the excellent market position of McDonalds. It therefore follows that McDonalds not only identifies but also implements these assets in the right direction in a bid to improve the services of the company in the market. Bordering the advantage on the vision which guides the company, McDonalds draws its strengths to achieve the competitive position by being committed to the sustainability of its vision. For example, bearing in mind that a brand or product revolves around the companys vision, McDonalds works in lieu with this concept and thus attributes its competitive advantage on its faithfulness to the mission, vision and goals as well as objectives of the organization (Thompson, 2005).In light of this, McDonalds operates on the guideline of serving those people who have little or no time to cook an therefore provides a solution of a proper restaurant. In this case, the vision provides not only quality products but also quick ser vice and desirable satisfaction among its customers. The sustainable competitive advantage has undoubtedly meant well for the McDonalds and implementing these strategies is based on incorporating the best value strategies which make McDonalds unique and hard to be emulated by its competitors. It is evident that competitive advantages has helped and continue to help McDonalds to realize a great investment through an integrated, intelligent and dynamic human resources as well as strategic management (brown, 2003). As a result, McDonald caters for the situation where risk attitudes change and entirely vary the environmental uncertainty and volatility. This based on the product, price, promotion and place has provided a good starting point for the competitive position of McDonalds. Towards implementing the marketing function, the management of McDonalds constantly employs elements of marketing mix to appropriate plan on how to achieve the popularity in the market place (Enz, 2009). McDonalds Marketing Strategy McDonalds is known for its market entry on which it introduces people to the culture of fast food through the employment of emotive and highly persuasive advertisement campaigns. As Hetrick et al (2006) point out, McDonalds uses well structured advertisement campaigns to create a corporate system that penetrates the market as well as expands it. With regard to this, Parsa (2002) notes that McDonalds have put in place strategies that deal with the growing number of fast food customers in the UK. Towards achieving this, McDonalds emphasizes on customer care, speed in the delivery and high hygienic conditions around the McDonald premises. Connected with the concept of market entry strategy, McDonalds equally builds on its brand image; a factor that identifies it as an independent company. Accordingly, the company has taken into account business environment to achieve a competitive edge based on the service delivery, product and price. In addition, McDonalds have used the diversity strategy in its operations. Hill and Jones (2007) contends that McDonalds uses this strategy to venture into other business; a factor that has helped the company to keep in touch with the market trends a mid the rising completion in the food chain industry. Towards this, McDonalds emphasis on health food, introduction of new items such as salads on the menu, changed the overall appearance of the stores among adopting newer strategies. In light of this, McDonalds is able to achieve a competitive position in the marketing environment that is getting more competitive by day s a result of entry of new players in the industry. Heath and Palacher (2008) further assert that a lot of innovations where McDonalds produces new products demonstrate another strategy in use for the McDonalds to catch up with the latest market development. As a result, it is able to respond to the ever changing tastes and concerns of customers. For instance, McDonalds continues to develop new recipes as part of it strategic formulation to cater for the health issues and concerns of the customers in UK. McDonalds continue with the franchising model and employs over 60000 employees in approximately 1200 restaurants. The success behind all theses is typical of the effective marketing strategies that lead to the creation of high demand for fast food (Cole, 2003). The aim of successful marketing rests on making superfluous sales. Understanding the customer as well as the product that fits them has definitely formed the foundation of McDonalds marketing strategy. As opposed to other fast food restaurant whose entry in the market somehow takes the customer for granted and ends at providing quick service, McDonalds exploits the underlying concept of marketing which draws on the notion that customer satisfaction is the primary business priority. Comparatively, many fast food restaurants in the UK are motivated in making profit and although they provide quality services, they miss out on putting their customers satisfaction on the fist priority. McDonalds has created business strategies that aim at fulfilling the creation of customer satisfaction. Fundamentally, McDonalds has invested in understanding the needs of a group or groups of customers in what is called market segmentation (Brown, 2002).As such, McDonalds defines these band of customers in terms of demography such as their age, region and gender such that each band of customers have a successfully and specifically tailored products as well as a marketing mix. Future Developments in the Fast Industry It is important to note that following the market trends of fats food industry, outsourcing of employees may not be effective. It is clear that everything in the present business community outsources but McDonalds should be ready to take care when outsourcing because in future, outsourcing is going to cease in its value following the whole sale idea of outsourcing competencies of the fast food chain store (Hetrick et al, 2006). Towards cushioning the effect of this, McDonald can outsource other business operations but not its core competencies. As such, it will keep abreast with the fact that the benefits of outsourcing which includes knowledge of market offshore, supplier relations and expansion of business operation. In so doing McDonalds will have put in place an order facility to cushion itself against competition, business failure and reduced profit margin. In addition, the question of increased competition will be a future development due to the extensive entry in the fast food industry. As such, McDonalds will have to face an array of market risks as well as other business setbacks. However, what will make it strong and continue to enjoy the status of a leading fast food company is the constant formulation and implementation of strategic policies based on its knowledge of the customer needs. In other words, the taste, preferences and satisfactions of the customer should be their constant priority to face this challenging scenario (Parsa, 2002).With the future market function taking a consumer oriented approach, the marketing decisions are care going to be affected by the careful identification of the needs of the customers. As such McDonalds will need to devise marketing strategies that meet the customers needs as well as a business distribution system that bring the brands closer to the needs of the customer. Recommendation for McDonalds Future Strategy McDonalds should in future design a business plan that addresses the social changes spearheaded by the government and consumer groups which border encouraging a balanced diet and thus prepare types of foods that on the nutrition of the customer as well as their healthy lifestyles. Essentially, it can also develop a joint venture with other organizations such as the supermarkets in that some of its food is sold in the supermarkets. This comes with the marketing database which will help it to more accurately reach out to specific target groups of consumers. The customer identification could be on the basis of modeling and shoppers profiles; a factor which will enhance the prevention of band switching. In addition, McDonalds should focus on the corporate social responsibility and edge closer to those organizations with a value impact on the society (Enz, 2009). Similarly, McDonalds should realize that promotion of its products is not merely an advertising function. It should come up with both advertising campaigns and promotional strategy that is defined by the nature of the market, the size of the market and the tastes as well as preferences of the customers. In so doing, McDonalds should design on the promotional mix that address the element of price, product and market in the way the customer will feel obliged to consume the product. Conclusion From the above discussion, it is evident that the strategic management plan of McDonalds has positioned it as the largest fast food corporation in the UK. This means that its business model is evidently different form other fast food chains. . Part of the strategic drive of McDonalds to increase its competitive edge has been to overhaul the system of food preparation and as evidenced in its recent food preparation system dubbed Made For You McDonalds developed a mutual relationship with its customers since fresher as well as hotter food was delivered to customers; an aspect that led to more consumption of McDonalds food. The overall point in the strategic thinking and management of McDonalds rests on the enhanced flexibility on its customer service, business model and analyzing the strategic edge in light of competitive advantage, business level strategies among others.

Choosing the best project for the company Essay

I would like to thank you for providing me with the essential information from your previous email to analyze the following projects Juniper, Palomino, and Stargazer. This information has provided me guidance with choosing the best project for the company. This email will provide you with the recommendation and proposal of the most beneficial project for the company. The project that fits our company’s expectations and requirements is the Stargazer project. This project is efficient and the expectation of the project being completed on time is high and obtainable. According to the project descriptions, $450,000 has been spent on the product and they average a total of $575,000 being spent in order to bring the product to the market. Even though the dollar amount spent in this project is high, the return on investment for this project is high; by the third year the product is forecasted to have a return of investments of $750,000. The product life of this project is forecasted to be 7 years. Because this product has not been used we would be the first company to launch the product to the market which would create an innovative style allowing our company to be the leader in the industry. The method I used to make this decision was utilizing the feasibility study. This method allows us to determine how beneficial or practical the Stargazer project would be to the organization. The four phases associated with the feasibility study are: operational feasibility, technical feasibility, schedule feasibility and economic feasibility. The operational aspect informs whether the project is worth solving and evaluating for business usage. The technical feasibility allows us to evaluate if the proposed technology is practical. Technology feasibility also informs us if we currently possess the necessary technology to implement the project. The schedule feasibility informs us if the project  deadlines are reasonable, which they are. The economic feasibility informs of our benefits; tangible or intangible benefits. The key deliverables for the project are not just the clients but also the external stakeholders. The break-even analysis is a financial analysis tool that determines if the project needs to be justified in terms of cost not the benefits. This is why this tool was not utilized in the decision for the Stargazer project. Based on the break-even analysis for the Juniper project it basically shows the company will not, or barely break-even, during the life cycle of the production due to technology advancements causing this product line to become obsolete after three years. It has a cost of $325,000 and ROI only producing $250,000 for the two to three years of production with the third year being the end of life for this product. If the company chooses the Palomino project it will also have a hard time breaking-even and producing revenue streams over the life-time of the production with a 5% margin of error with the seventh year being the end of life for the product. The strength of the economy plays a large determining factor in this forecast due to 5% differential in the life cycle of this product. Palomino will cost $655,000 with the ROI being $450,000 over a five year period with that 5%, plus or minus, margin of error. Profit would then start to be recognized in the sixth and seventh year of the life cycle which is way too long. Each of the five phases of the project management was evaluated in order to reach the best decision. Initiating, planning, executing, monitoring and controlling and closing were the primary outline for the decision. Project management requires processes to be done at each of these levels in a detailed step. These steps outline the idea into a general flow for the best project.