The Name of the Rose Essay Paper Example For Students

The Name of the Rose Essay Paper Kristopher Rodriguez August 1, 2009 English 3 1. The Rules of St. Benedict are basically 73 rules monks used when they lived in an abbey under an abbot. In this particular novel, the Rule is referring to Cenobites, which are monks living in a monastery under an abbot. Some of the monks follow the Rule, but some of the other monks sometimes break the Rule. For example, in the Rule of St. Benedict, it says that monks are not to act violent towards other monks. Malachi the librarian broke this because the book says, â€Å"And Malachi has struck him with the armillary sphere because it was the only thing he found handy,† (Eco 470). We will write a custom essay on The Name of the Rose Paper specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now He broke one of the rules, which was not a good thing. The cellarer also broke one of the rules as well, the book says, â€Å"That he didn’t want the cellarer, who was powerful, or me, young and handsome, to enjoy the love of the village girls anymore,† (Eco 308). What that quote is saying is that the cellarer slept with the women from the village and that is against what the monks believe in. The abbot of the abbey was basically the only one out of the three mentioned who followed the Rule. He was never going against the rule, all he wanted was for the abbey to maintain wealthy and safe. The monks justified them altering for a very obvious reason. They did not want people to think badly about them and they didn’t want to be humiliated by what they did. They altered the rules so that it would be better for them and they wouldn’t get in trouble with anyone. These flaws in the important people of the abbey basically led to the abbey’s destruction. These were the people that the monks looked up to and they were flawed in bad ways. The whole abbey burned to the ground because of a lot of ruckus these people caused the abbey. 2. When William and Adso come upon Nicholas, the master glazier, William and Nicholas engage in a conversation about job stereotypes and of William’s glasses. The metaphor, â€Å"knowing is seeing† is basically saying that when you know more of something, you see things more clearly and you are more aware of the things that surround you. The occupation of the master glazier in this abbey is to fix the windows of the buildings as they get damaged over time. Obviously, to become master glazier, you must know how to work with glass pretty well. Nicholas believes that when you are a glazier, all you should be doing is fixing windows or making new ones. William then says, â€Å"It is not written that master glaziers must go on making windows,† (Eco 86). To us, a mirror is something we use daily to look at our personal appearances. In the novel, the mirror is used in a different way. As Adso is exploring the library, he comes upon a â€Å"ghost† and screams out that it’s a devil. William laughs and says, â€Å"And now you are frightened by your own image. A mirror that reflects your image enlarged and distorted,† (Eco 172). Have you ever been to one of those fun houses where all the mirrors make you look fat and weird? This is exactly what Adso was experiencing, but to him it was a new and scary thing because he had never encountered it. The creators of the library used the mirrors to scare people while they are inside. Knowledge is how much of something you know, and in reference to the mirrors, Adso knows nothing. Most of the time reality is whatever is right in front of you. Sometimes, there are things that make you see things that are not really there, and in that case reality is not what you are seeing right in front of you. Perception is when you become aware of anything using your senses, especially sight and hearing. Perception and reality are related in a major way, because without one, you can’t really have the other. Perception is always related to reality because; you use your senses to see if something that you’re looking at is real and not a figment of your imagination. All of this is completely related to metaphysics because metaphysics is the philosophical study of knowing and being. William knew what the mirror was and he got that from studying and going from place to place. Since he knew what it was, his senses were already accustomed to it and he did not react in the same way Adso did when he saw his reflection in the distorted mirror. . There were some metaphorical qualities surrounding the death of Venantius. When the monks were doing their prayers before dawn, Adso says, â€Å"And I felt the warmth of renewed faith,† (Eco 102). What he is comparing here is warmth to faith and he is saying that when he does anything to do with his faith he feels warm. Another met aphor that Adso said while the monks were in prayer is, â€Å"All bowed toward the altar in a moment of meditation whose sweetness no one can comprehend,† (Eco 102). What he is comparing in this metaphor is his editation to sweetness, because when Adso meditates, he feels peaceful inside his body and that to him is sweet. Another metaphor was when dawn was approaching, it says, â€Å"It was as if the daystar in all its splendor were invading the temple,† (Eco 103). What this metaphor is saying is that the sun is invading the temple. The last metaphor I found was when they found Venantius and were studying the snow, it says, â€Å"Snow, dear Adso, is an admirable parchment on which men’s bodies leave very legible writing,† (Eco 105). This metaphor is comparing the snow to parchment because when you walk on snow you leave footprints and that is what William and Adso were looking for when they were investigating. The monks think that all these deaths are leading up to their doom because Alianardo keeps talking about the trumpets and how more people are going to died and eventually all their deaths do lead to their doom because all the deaths were the reason that the abbey burn to the ground. If none of the deaths had ever happened, the abbey would have never burnt down and nothing that bad would have ever happened in the abbey. Authors include allusions for many different reasons. One of the main reasons authors include allusions in their stories is because a lot of times the reader does not get something and they use allusions to help the reader better understand what they are reading. They try and use allusions of things that most people know and they use the allusions to relate to whatever they are talking about. 4. When you are in the abbey and you talk about laughter, it is not a good thing. To the monks, especially Jorge, laughter is seen as a bad thing. There were a total of three debates with Jorge about laughter. .u2da1bf13f71392975477e0daef13271b , .u2da1bf13f71392975477e0daef13271b .postImageUrl , .u2da1bf13f71392975477e0daef13271b .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u2da1bf13f71392975477e0daef13271b , .u2da1bf13f71392975477e0daef13271b:hover , .u2da1bf13f71392975477e0daef13271b:visited , .u2da1bf13f71392975477e0daef13271b:active { border:0!important; } .u2da1bf13f71392975477e0daef13271b .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u2da1bf13f71392975477e0daef13271b { 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; } .u2da1bf13f71392975477e0daef13271b:active , .u2da1bf13f71392975477e0daef13271b:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u2da1bf13f71392975477e0daef13271b .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u2da1bf13f71392975477e0daef13271b .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u2da1bf13f71392975477e0daef13271b .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u2da1bf13f71392975477e0daef13271b .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; } .u2da1bf13f71392975477e0daef13271b:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u2da1bf13f71392975477e0daef13271b .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u2da1bf13f71392975477e0daef13271b .u2da1bf13f71392975477e0daef13271b-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u2da1bf13f71392975477e0daef13271b:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Of mice and men...theme of lonliness in the book EssayThe first debate happened when the monks were eating It all started off when Jorge said that Christ did not laugh. William then says, â€Å"Because laughter, as the theologians teach, is proper to man,† (Eco 95). This angered Jorge and he said that the son of man had the chance to laugh, but he never did. William then tells him that Saint Lawrence was making ridiculous comments to humiliate his enemies when they were going to die. Jorge responds by saying, â€Å"Which proves that laughter is something very close to death and to the corruption of the body,† (Eco 96). This argument ended because the abbot said to be silent. The second debate on the licitness of laughter takes place in the scriptorium when William is looking through Venantius’ desk. What basically happened in this debate is that William thought they were talking about the comedies in the other debate, and Jorge tells him that they were talking about laughter and not about the comedies. They both then go back and forth stating why and why not laughing is a good thing. In the end, Jorge seems a bit upset and the William forgives himself for showing Jorge a lack of respect. The last debate that William has with Jorge about the licitness of laughter is when they are in the finis Africae and Jorge has the book that William wanted. The book that Jorge is hiding is the second book of Aristotle which talks about laughing and comedy as a good thing. Jorge obviously believe that laughing is not a good thing and him and William start having another debate, which then leads Jorge to start eating the papers of the book so that no one will know what the book had to say about laughter. This eventually leads to the destruction of the abbey in a huge fire. . Umberto Eco used a lot of allusions in this novel so that the reader can connect the content to other things and better understand what is going on in the book. One story that The Name of the Rose is used as an allusion to is â€Å"The Gold Bug† by Edgar Allan Poe. It is in a lot of ways alike because first of all the main characters in both stories are named William and the narrator of both stories is bes t friend to the William’s of each stories. Another thing that the story and t he novel have in common is that in a way they both have something to search for. In the Gold Bug, they are looking for the treasure and in The Name of the Rose, they are looking for the murderer that is behind all of the deaths in the abbey. Another thing that is common in both stories is that both of them use some sort of code to get to their desired destination, whether it be the finis Africae or the treasure. The other short story that is somewhat similar in ways to The Name of the Rose is the short story â€Å"Adventure of the Dancing Men† by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The similarities between this one and The Name of the Rose are that they both use a code to decipher things and they both contain murders. Another thing that is sort of similar between these two stories is that in The Name of the Rose, Adelmo kills himself and in the Adventure of the Dancing men, Elsie tries to kill herself, but she doesn’t manage to. The three stories are tied into each other because the three of them include a mystery of some sort, and each of the three stories has some sort of code that leads them to where they want to be. 6. A historical novel is a novel where fictional characters take part in actual historical events and interact with real people from the past. A detective tory is a narrative about someone who investigates crimes and obtains evidence leading to their resolution. A Gothic romance is a romance that deals with desolate and mysterious and grotesque events. A postmodern apocalypse is a writing that refers to the end of the world. An encyclopedia is a comprehensive reference work with articles on a range of topics. This novel fits under the classifications of historical novel and detective story. It is a historical because constantly throughout the novel, you get references to popes, emperors, and kings. The characters constantly came into contact with people that were real in the past. One of them is Fra Dolcino, who the cellarer and Salvatore both knew. You know that they made contact with him because when the cellarer was in his trial he says, â€Å"I told Dolcino I no longer felt capable of participating in their battle,† (Eco 380). That quote shows that the cellarer came in contact with Fra Dolcino, who really existed in the past. The Name of the Rose is a historical novel, but it is more of a detective story. From day one William is assigned the investigation and the reader knows this because he tells the abbot, â€Å"Will you assign me this mission coram monachis? † (Eco 34). What he said was that if he could investigate in the presence of the monks. Another reason for it being a detective story is because they get their resolutions. One example of William getting a resolution is when he says to Jorge, â€Å"And I should go on leafing like that until a good portion of the poison had passed to my mouth. I am speaking of the poison that you, one day long ago, took from the laboratory of Severinus. † (Eco 469). What he basically telling Jorge is that he figured out why the monks that died had black fingers and a black tongue, they were poisoned when they tried to look through the book. . When you first read the two parts of Salvatore’s language and the dream that Adso had, you think that it doesn’t make any sense and that it doesn’t relate to the story. In some ways it does make the story more interesting and understandable and in other it is just there to entertain. As you know, Salvatore has an extremely weird way of talking. Wh at he does is that he just picks random languages and puts them all in a sentence and what you get is a big jumble of different languages in a sentence, which is difficult to understand. .ue7ae632c3129af4ddbacaf38b9be483f , .ue7ae632c3129af4ddbacaf38b9be483f .postImageUrl , .ue7ae632c3129af4ddbacaf38b9be483f .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ue7ae632c3129af4ddbacaf38b9be483f , .ue7ae632c3129af4ddbacaf38b9be483f:hover , .ue7ae632c3129af4ddbacaf38b9be483f:visited , .ue7ae632c3129af4ddbacaf38b9be483f:active { border:0!important; } .ue7ae632c3129af4ddbacaf38b9be483f .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ue7ae632c3129af4ddbacaf38b9be483f { 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; } .ue7ae632c3129af4ddbacaf38b9be483f:active , .ue7ae632c3129af4ddbacaf38b9be483f:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ue7ae632c3129af4ddbacaf38b9be483f .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ue7ae632c3129af4ddbacaf38b9be483f .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ue7ae632c3129af4ddbacaf38b9be483f .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ue7ae632c3129af4ddbacaf38b9be483f .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; } .ue7ae632c3129af4ddbacaf38b9be483f:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ue7ae632c3129af4ddbacaf38b9be483f .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ue7ae632c3129af4ddbacaf38b9be483f .ue7ae632c3129af4ddbacaf38b9be483f-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ue7ae632c3129af4ddbacaf38b9be483f:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Market Opportunity Analysis EssayIf you translate what Salvatore was saying in those pages, you might look at it and have no idea what he is talking about. What he said was that the Devil was coming and a dragon was going to come eat your soul and that the monastery is good, but everything else isn’t worth anything. This is sort of foreshadowing what was going to happen in the future because in a way, the Devil did come to the abbey with all the murders and then in the end with the fire that completely burned down the entire abbey. So it did sort of contribute to the development of the novel if you thought about it. Adso’s dream was also something that didn’t seem important while it really was. Basically, his dream was just a big irony dream because everyone from the past was doing what they were said to have done, and they were all going crazy and behaving wildly. When Adso explained his dream to William, William used it to draw more hypotheses. This is how Adso’s dream contributed to the novel because it helped William get closer to finding out the mystery of what was going on in the abbey. 8. The author’s narrative style would obviously have to be first-person narration because Adso is the one narrating from his point of view. The author used this type of narrative style because it is a good type of narrative style you could use for detective or mystery stories, which this one is. It impacts the perception and the knowledge of the reader because if they reader really wants to find out who is causing all this havoc, then they would have to use their mind to solve the mystery with the clues given. The narrative style affects the perception as well, because it makes you see things in a different way and you try to see things in a way so that it can help you understand what is going on in the book. It impacts the unraveling of the truth because as you go along and you get more knowledgeable about the book, you start to see things more clearly and then when you get all the information that you need, you will have figured out the mystery and uncovered the truth behind what is going on at the time in the book. The discovery of the truth has to be the main objective for the author because the book is a mystery/detective story and all those types of stories have the villan being unveiled in the end. The truth slowly starts to get more obvious as you progress through the book, and if you don’t notice the truth you will at the end because that is what the author wants you to know, the truth. 9. The quote â€Å"Knowing is seeing† is a something that is very true in many ways. One way is that when you know something, your eyes open up to other things and more knowledge can be acquired. That is basically saying that knowledge lets you see things that you never knew existed or stuff that you never thought interesting. Another way you can look it is that until you know something exists, you never knew it was there. An example of that would be that you meet someone new that goes to your school, and when you did not know who they were, you never saw them. Once you realized that they existed, you start seeing them in places that you never saw them before. It happens because since they are not important in your life, you don’t notice them when they are around you, but when you acknowledge their existence you see them more often because they are now part of your life. The setting of this novel is in northern Italy. At the time of the novel, Italy was a very important place because Vatican City was in Italy, and back then, religion was a very important part of everyone’s life. The abbey is a microcosm of the world because like the world, the abbey had a lot of conflicts and mysteries of their own. There was also a diversity of people in the abbey, just like there is in the world. Obviously it is not at the same extent as the world, but that is why it is a microcosm, which is a miniature model of something. Like the world, the abbey has its own conflicts. As you know, 3 of the 4 monks that died committed suicide and the other 3 were murdered. The world, as you know, is a harsh place. Back then, the world was more brutal and if you were mixing yourself with the wrong group, you were accused of heresy and a lot of times, people were burned at the stake. The never burned people at the stake in the abbey, but the people who died there, died of horrible ways. 10. To me there is one basic universal truth in this novel. The universal truth that I saw in this novel is to let people have their own opinions and to worry about yourself and nobody else. Jorge thought that by hiding the book in the finis Africae, he was protecting the abbey when really, he is the reason that the abbey was destroyed. If you think of it in a metaphysics way, it was sort of like he knew what was inside the book and he didn’t want anyone else to know because he had his own opinions about the book and he thought the book was bad, so he didn’t take anyone into consideration and kept the book hidden. The monks in this novel obviously are well in tune with their religious side, and they take their religion very seriously. Some of them believe that religion should be above all things, but people like Jorge think that material things are more important and should be protected. The stuff that was kept in the crypt was important, but what they signified was what was important. If stuff didn’t have any significance, than it wouldn’t really matter if we had them or not. The monks all had one belief set in stone and usually if you had another belief you were called a heretic, and you were killed. This is sort of wrong, because today there are many different religions and just because you have a different religion from someone doesn’t mean that you or the other person has to die. You just have to be considerate of other people’s opinions and keep your opinions to yourself and if necessary, express them in an orderly way.

Free Essays on Jane Austen Uses Of Irony In Pride And Prejudice

The first sentence of the novel Pride and Prejudice opens with an ironic statement about marriage, â€Å"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife† (1). A man with a fortune does not need a wife nearly so much as a woman is greatly in need of a wealthy husband. The entire novel is really an explanation of how women and men pursue each other prior to marriage. Jane Austen uses a variety of verbal, dramatic, situational and irony through the novel. The novel is full of verbal irony, especially coming from Elizabeth and Mr. Bennet. Verbal irony is saying one thing, but meaning the complete opposite. Although Mr. Bennet is basically a sensible man, he behaves strangely because of his sarcasm with his wife. Trapped in a bad marriage, he makes life endurable for himself by assuming a pose of an ironic passive spectator of life, who has long ago abandoned his roles as a husband and a father. He amuses himself by pestering his foolish wife or making insensitive remarks about his daughters. Mr. Bennet cruelly mocks his wife silliness and is shown to be sarcastic, and cynical with comments as â€Å"†¦you are as handsome as any of them, Mr. Bingley might like you the best of the party† (2). He laughs at her total obsession with finding suitable husbands for her five daughters. Elizabeth is to some extent similar to her father’s cynicism. At the second ball, not only did Elizabeth declined Darcy request to da nce with her, but mocked him with a comment like â€Å"Mr. Darcy is all politeness† (17). Another is â€Å"I am perfectly convinced by it that Mr. Darcy has no defect† when Darcy and Elizabeth joust with one another in Chapter11 (39). Her speeches crackle with irony that is filled with pep and display vibrant humor. Dramatic irony is when the audience knows something that the character doesn’t, which is seen through Elizabeth and Darcy. In chapter 4, ... Free Essays on Jane Austen Uses Of Irony In Pride And Prejudice Free Essays on Jane Austen Uses Of Irony In Pride And Prejudice The first sentence of the novel Pride and Prejudice opens with an ironic statement about marriage, â€Å"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife† (1). A man with a fortune does not need a wife nearly so much as a woman is greatly in need of a wealthy husband. The entire novel is really an explanation of how women and men pursue each other prior to marriage. Jane Austen uses a variety of verbal, dramatic, situational and irony through the novel. The novel is full of verbal irony, especially coming from Elizabeth and Mr. Bennet. Verbal irony is saying one thing, but meaning the complete opposite. Although Mr. Bennet is basically a sensible man, he behaves strangely because of his sarcasm with his wife. Trapped in a bad marriage, he makes life endurable for himself by assuming a pose of an ironic passive spectator of life, who has long ago abandoned his roles as a husband and a father. He amuses himself by pestering his foolish wife or making insensitive remarks about his daughters. Mr. Bennet cruelly mocks his wife silliness and is shown to be sarcastic, and cynical with comments as â€Å"†¦you are as handsome as any of them, Mr. Bingley might like you the best of the party† (2). He laughs at her total obsession with finding suitable husbands for her five daughters. Elizabeth is to some extent similar to her father’s cynicism. At the second ball, not only did Elizabeth declined Darcy request to da nce with her, but mocked him with a comment like â€Å"Mr. Darcy is all politeness† (17). Another is â€Å"I am perfectly convinced by it that Mr. Darcy has no defect† when Darcy and Elizabeth joust with one another in Chapter11 (39). Her speeches crackle with irony that is filled with pep and display vibrant humor. Dramatic irony is when the audience knows something that the character doesn’t, which is seen through Elizabeth and Darcy. In chapter 4, ...

How can rio olympics accomodations(hotels, and so on) be reused Research Proposal

How can rio olympics accomodations(hotels, and so on) be reused - Research Proposal Example One of them will surely be the quality and quantity of accommodations. Based on the experiences when London hosted the latest Olympics in 2012, it became clear that an appropriate accommodation is a vital part of the successful international event. For example, there was a remarkable shortage of rooms, which led to unreasonably expensive room prices that surprised and eventually turned off many foreign visitors. To prevent these types of problems from happening again in 2016, an adequate number of rooms should be ready by the beginning of the event. The International Olympic Committee (IOC)  has recommended at least 40,000 hotel beds with three stars or more, while Rio de Janeiro, the host city, currently has only over 26,000. To fill the gap by the beginning of the games, construction should begin no later than the end of 2013. According to the report prepared by  the hosting situation Municipal Planning Department, there are currently 9116 rooms under construction and 8693 unde rgoing analysis or consultation.  Another concern is how to maintain the occupancy rate of accommodations after the Olympic games are done. The surplus of the rooms will lead to lower prices and eventually put pressure on the local economy of the post-Olympic Rio de Janeiro. The purpose of this paper is to conduct a research to find the equilibrium number of rooms to be additionally constructed, and what governmental actions should be taken to cope with the possible room surplus after the Olympic event. In order for this to be properly done, the data of the regular occupancy rate in Rio de Janeiro should be collected and a prediction on how it will be changed based on the new number of rooms should be made. The equilibrium number will be that is sufficient to accommodate all the delegations, athletes, journalists, and employees of companies linked to the event, but not too huge so the surplus is minimized when the city is back to normal status. An idea is that the newly built hote ls will be used more like apartments after the Olympic Games. That will require both constructional consideration and a more flexible licensing process on the part of the government. Tasks This study has two fundamental objectives, which are: 1) to determine the appropriate number of facilities to be constructed for accommodation; and, 2) to identify such facilities’ utility when the sporting event is over. For these purposes, the research is proposed to undertake a comprehensive comparative review of previous literature and documents. The aim is to determine a theoretical framework that would finally identify important evidences that will support successes and failures in the issue being investigated. For example, why were the facilities in the Beijing Olympics and the Athens Olympics before it, were left to rot or were never effectively reused? Or, what are the differences in such failures or successes? The theoretical framework that will be developed should be able to not only provide background information to augment the discussion and analysis sections of this study but also yield credible evidences and experiences that the Rio Olympics in 2016 could learn from. This research activity can also take the form of a documentary analysis

Case 9 Discussion Questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Case 9 Discussion Questions - Essay Example Furthermore, there was no discussion of the target audience for which the renovations would take place. As was made obvious in the case study, the club itself is losing out on a powerful and important demographic of membership. As a means of attracting this demographic, the shareholders should be intimately aware of what types of improvements to the Hunt Room, if any, would engage this otherwise disenfranchised group of potential clients. A very important piece of information that should be sought prior to determining whether to remodel, shutter, or leave the Hunt Room as is relates to the feelings of the current clientele. Although the room itself is not necessarily generating a large share of profits for the club, it does fill an important niche and retain a level of happy and satisfied customers; therefore, attempting to poll these individuals as to the level of change they would like to see and incorporating these inputs in with layers of what would attract newer/younger patrons could be an effective win/win situation. Furthermore, performing such a level of market research is both easy to do and costs virtually nothing. With regards to how often a room should be reconcepted, this entirely depends on the clientele that avail themselves of the room, the level of brand image that is associated with the room, and the degree to which customers are not only loyal to the firm/organization/club, the food, or the management, but also the actual immutability of the room itself. For these reasons, providing a hard and fast rule with reference to a definite time period in which a given room should be reconcepted would be foolish to the litany of different business plans that exist which to a varying degree rely on the appeal of the unchanging nature of the setting itself as a prime selling point. Secondly, with regards to what makes restaurant concepts grow out of practice, it is the belief of this author that the style in

Financial Management - WHSmith PLC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Financial Management - WHSmith PLC - Essay Example However, WHSmith Retail sales fell by 1% to 1,453m from last year's 1,463m, driven mainly by a 2% loss in its High Street Retail business. This loss in high street retail was only mildly offset by the excellent performance in travel retail characterized by an 11% increase in profits to 21m from 19m in the previous year, and a 3% increase in sales. Reasons for the overall profit loss of the group were attributed to a significant decrease in sales due to unsuccessful marketing and promotions and the continued sale of products with decreasing demand; and an unsuccessful investment in technology, which contributed to the company's increased costs. Another aspect of the retail business is WHSmith Online. Launched in 2000, the retail website, www.whsmith.co.uk, has not been utilized by the company to its potential and is not integrated with the rest of the retail business. It experienced a loss of 2m in profit, similar to the previous year and sales of 7m. In order to turn the company around and increase retail sales, the company will focus on developing a multi-channel retail strategy, taking advantage of WHSmith Online's full potential to increase online sales, as well as sales in high street and travel stores. Shank and Govindarajan (1991) defines strategic cost management as "the process through which a sophisticated understanding of an organization's cost structure is developed and used in the search for sustainable competitive advantage." They argue that blending the three themes of value chain analysis, cost driver analysis, and competitive advantage analysis represents the most powerful way to determine which strategic direction will be most beneficial for an organization (Shank and Govindarajan, 1992). By applying Shank and Govindarajan's framework, one can understand why implementing a multi-channel strategy will benefit WHSmith's retail business in the long run. WHSmith Value Chain Analysis A value chain is "linked set of value-creating activities" (Shank and Govindarajan, 1992). Based on WHSmith's value chain, one can see that a multi-channel retail strategy is most profitable for the company. First, by analyzing WHSmith's internal value chain, one can infer that WHSmith Online has developed as a separated business division that is not integrated into the WHSmith Retail since its launch in 2000. WHSmith Online does not support any of the value chain activities of the group and its potential was not fully explored. Thus, it remains to be a traditional retail business. In the purchasing stage, products are purchased from its distributors based on the demand forecasted by the company. These products are then shipped to warehouses, which deliver them to the respective high street retail stores in the distribution and merchandising stages. High street retail stores then arrange these products, utilizing the available spaces and conduct marketing activities as directed by the central office in the store operations and marketing stages. At this stage, the point of sale is situated at cash registers in each store and mails received by the company from its loyal customers. Figure 2. WHSmith Internal Value Chain Analysis Based on the existing internal value chain and the performance during the previous year, the following improvements need to be employed (WHSmith, 2004): Purchasing: Discontinue purchase

UKs Economy in Europe Essay -- Economics Economy England United Essay

UK's Economy in Europe When one talks about a strong economy, a few key economic indicators will get mentioned; inflation, unemployment and economic growth. These are considered the three main macroeconomic indicators of any economy. To define a strong economy in the simplest form you must have a low rate of inflation, low unemployment and steady economic growth. During this essay there will be comparisons between other European countries (e.g. France, Germany, Luxemburg, Belgium, Spain, Italy) and these economic indictors mentioned as well as others. We will start to look at inflation rates. "The British economy has slowed over the past 12 months, but remains among the strongest in the developed world, a report has said" (BBC News Online). Last month the Underlying rate of inflation in the UK remained unchanged at 2.3%, which is below the governments target rate of 2.5%, this is good for the economy. The headline rate of inflation, which includes mortgage interest payments, fell last month by 0.4% to 1.7%. These figures show the rate at which prices are increasing. When we compare the UK's annual inflation figure of 1.2% to that of Germany and France (-0.6% in October), which is around the 2% mark, it seems that our rate is quite low and therefore good for our economy. The Eurozone inflation is expected to be 2.1%; this is measured by the Monetary Union Index of Consumer Prices (MUICP). By looking at this we can see that this figure is very close to the UK's inflation rate. On the whole inflation in the UK is at a lower rate than that of its European neighbours, which is an indicator of a strong economy. When we look at unemployment in the UK we can see that it is around 900,000 or 2.3%. This is the lowest it has been since the 1970's and is at a lower percentage rate than Japan and the USA. Germany who has recently announced that they have just entered a recession has a very high rate of unemployment at around 8.0% and France, Finland and Spain even higher. The UK, Netherlands and Luxemburg are amongst the lowest unemployment rates in Europe. "Unemployment is up again in France and Germany, in a sign that the eurozone's two biggest economies are still in the grip of a downturn" (BBC News Online). France and Germany have the largest economies in Europe and recent figures show that unemployment increased by 15,000 a... ...ong performance is reflected by such indicators as solid growth and forecasts for next year predicting an annual growth of 2.75% - 3.75%. Inflation currently at 2.3% is lower than forecasted which is a strong indicator for a strong economy. Our unemployment is at the lowest it has been since the 1970's and lower than that of the two biggest economies in the world at present at 2.3% or around 900,000. Interest rates are remaining unchanged at 4%, which is low, and the reason for the British economy having a firm housing market. The UK's main economic problem is the manufacturing output. It could be argued that this sector of the economy is in recession after figures of negative growth in the last two quarters. As a result of this the UK is suffering from an all time high trade deficit, which is also due to the high value of the pound. But overall the UK economy is in a good state taking into advantage the global economic slowdown which is going on around it. References: www.bbc.co.uk Sources:  · www.bbc.co.uk  · www.bized.ac.uk  · www.europa.eu.int  · www.ukonline.gov.uk  · The Daily Mail Newspaper  · The Business Environment - Brooks/Weatherston

Chile Case Analysis Essay

Introduction The Multi-Product Chile case showed all the characteristics of a decision case. At the end of the case, Mr. Thompson, the new manager, had to face with a decision whether or not continuing with the changes started by the company. Therefore, we approached at the case with a decisive standpoint. 1. What are the specific problems & issues facing the company? Managers organization structure chart shows that the work distribution could not be done well. There are too many managers and this might lead to a very high individual competition. The working structure of the company does not promote teamwork, each division is working individually and the staff is not working as a team and this decreases the effectiveness of the compensation system, which has also been held as an individual activity. Another major issue is the lack of trust on each other, caused mainly by cultural aspects that lead the employees to be more individual: everyone is only interested in themselves, not in the area they work in. Sales representatives are only interested on the product they are specifically selling and that causes differences with what the clients are looking for. Therefore, the company struggles to accept changes happening right now. 2. How do you evaluate the approach the firm has taken so far? Multi-Products Chile has tried to keep up with the new trends in the market by meeting the new and constantly evolving customer’s needs. Before Thompson’s arrival, the Key Accounts review and Integrated Solutions program were already been launched. The new identification of company’s Key Accounts as a strategic relationship with the customers was aimed to create a long-term competitive advantage for the firm and creating new benefits for the clients. Integrated Solutions meant a completely different approach in the relationship with the customers: the sales representatives focused their efforts from one product and many clients to one client and a different set of products. The role of the sales representative had to evolve becoming a â€Å"consultant† for the customer. The issue of Chilean cultural barriers to overcome, in order change their sales policy, was not an easy one. They are a closed culture and the mentioned lack of trust that emerged between the co-workers represented an issue in the team working approach required by the transition to an integrated sales model. In our view the firm has moved in the right direction. Even though the sales were doing well with no sign of a crisis, the profit margin was decreasing. The customers were asking for a different kind of service and, in order to be competitive in the future and coherent with the innovative spirit of the firm, a step forward was necessary. Meet the customer needs is the key to success and now the big challenge is trying to align the approach with the Chilean culture. Moving from a traditional selling model to an integrated also represented an opportunity to align their strategy with all the other Multi-Products branches all over the world. 3. What actions should the firm take going forward? From an integrated solutions model standpoint, every single employee should be on the same page in terms of team motivation, company coherence, and content on the multi-products structure. This innovative model from the traditional business model has a lack of adaptability in the Chilean culture because the company’s implementation isn’t in its full effect. Therefore, a change in a more streamlined and lean management structure that coincides with the integrated sales model, which could be tweaked according to the Chilean culture, could be the way forward, especially when the profit margin  is decreasing where the times of culture adaptability change are needed. The fact that the Chileans are â€Å"workaholics,† and they are dedicated, in turning their dedication to a team oriented strategy could suffice for the â€Å"one voice, one face, one company,† as part of their integrated solutions model. The incentive structure could be tweaked as well for sales representatives, where a higher commission and bonus model for higher sales in effect could boost the company’s performance. If this is streamlined, this could be the factor increase in the company’s market share from a low profit margin. Due to the fact that Chileans are naturally competitive work oriented people, an innovative competition structure that is internal and fun could be established whereby, workers motivate themselves to beat each other, which could overall beat the benchmark targets for the sales and marketing segment in the integrated solutions model. In going forward, merging the integrated solutions model, key accounts and the Chilean culture norms, mores and values of their work standards, where the team as whole could leverage their core strengths in competition, hard work with their sales representatives, could be their main factor advantage in the market. 4. What are the key supply chain(s) links in this case? How might the supply/value chain be used as an analytical framework for understanding the organizational and managerial challenges facing the company? This case shows different key actors of the supply chain. Starting with the initial inventory with its way of procurement. Then, they explain the way they deliver their products, which is via truck shipment mostly. The new sale solution they are implementing affects the way they will manage their orders. Adding more services in the process, as customer will need advices. Its overall way of retail is challenged in this case, aside from facing an overhaul in the sales division; its supply chain has to be adapted to answer the new needs. The company will need to pivot from a push production to a pull production. Hence, most of the supply chain is affected. This is the main organizational challenge, because every aspect of their current supply chain will have to change. They want to reach the next level, going from a simple offering of products to a retailer of solutions, as mentioned earlier. For the supply chain, that means, more reactivity and flexibility. Several layer tools needs to be implemented. They should apply a just in time production, meaning that they will have, at least, to use the lean manufacturing to eliminate the wastes in their production. They will work with smaller trucks to sale more often. A reduction of their waste in the manufacturing process, and the pace they can change their production should be as low as it can. Its sales people need to learn how to work together, but the top management needs to be on the same page regarding this project, everything will start with their support. And it’s a real mistake that they still have people openly doubting the overall at this point of the process. The challenge would be to rally those executives. Then create an atmosphere where collaboration is valued and useful. The entire success of this overall relies on the way people can adapt to it. And it won’t be easy regarding the social value that Chile people developed. The organizational side is important, but should not be the main focus, as it is motioned in the case that they are still delivering in time their products. But keeping these changes in mind is important for the long term, which is also a switch in the company’s culture. 5. How have STEEPLE factors impacted the company? The social aspect of Chile has a direct impact on our company, as people in Chile are workaholics where they are more focused on individual goals than the company’s goal. The use of incentives to individual sale representatives will help increase the sales but this will again drive them towards their own individual goals. Technological innovation helps us in deriving 30 percent of sales. There is potential in the market but the economy is increasing slowly as compared to other Latin American countries. Being political stable since last 10 years, there are legal issues regarding regulation and standards while dealing with other countries. Conclusion To conclude, the wisest option for Thompson is to continue the overhaul of the company’s management and organizational systems. Because Multi-product Chile is at a critical point where it has to adapt in order to stay  competitive. Even if the project faces difficulties, it has to be achieved. The main factor for success, aside from the technical parts, would be to rally the employee towards this project. Starting with the executive, this is inconceivable that they are still facing trust issue from the managers at this point of the project. Regarding the technical part, in order to be able to deliver according to the new standards, they will have to switch their production from a push production to a pull production. We would recommend starting with the basic tools of the lean manufacturing.