Dancing in September

The film depicts the struggle the black community faces to change the status quo through film. Tommy is an incredible playwrite with ‘Just us’ being pitched by his childhood friend George. After its test pilot is approved they celebrate their creativity by depicting the characters as positive, warm and humane something which doesn’t play out well with the directors.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Dancing in September specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More With the falling ratings the pressure is piling on Tommy to change the script to the ordinarily predictable African American stereotype. Even after their demeaning efforts, the show is cut off leaving George and Tommy where they were hinged on a retrogressive system. They face the forces of negativity in their work and fuel it by believing they had failed in their quest for equality. Discrimination is rife in their society since even the audience loses belief in the show by not tuning in causing the ratings to drop. The film gives us a flashback of when Tommy and George were young and they used to watch ‘roots’ a show which focuses on how a young African warrior is stolen from Africa and sold as a slave is able to create a family which generations later is able to be free from slavery. It tries to outline the importance of freedom and people charting their own paths in life by breaking the monotonous cycle . The story pans out in today’s society where a clique doesn’t allow for dynamic shifts in the mindsets of people to be expressed through the media. The portraying of black people as criminals doesn’t serve the purpose the show was meant to undertake since it short-changes the viewers and the writers as well. George and Tommy also take up an important role in the film as the main actors through their interactions to see the show through. Though they are faced with a myriad of challenges th ey managed to end up as people who added value to society through their show. They also had challenges of balancing their professional and private lives. Personal values also play a part in the film through Tommy being prone to manipulation by the network executive to appease their thirst to retain the status quo.Advertising Looking for essay on art and design? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It hasn’t been easy for black entertainers to leave their mark in television with some of them getting either demeaning or ‘lesser roles’. The most common catch phrases that have been used by black characters were either given to us by the white man during the slavery days and are now used by black people while referring to each other. This in turn begs the question does it really matter to us that we insult each other and how does it help us? Some may argue that it helps in lessening the stigma against us with others not paying attention to the words which faded after the independence of all Americans. To white characters it gives them an edge over black Americans since they feel superior due to their power over the mindset of black Americans. To blacks, it neccesitates for a change of attitudes and mindset. It is a shame that some blacks still think that the only way out of poverty is through crime or drug dealing. Black-cast dramas have been a revelation when it comes to cable channels because of the way the stories are able to resonate with the audience. Although they haven’t been rampant as expected the growth of the shows has created a buzz in the industry. The industry is very bureaucratic and rigid with any show that doesn’t bring instant success through ratings being shot down. Compounded with the fact that AfricanAmericans are a minority their needs are not seen to weigh much when it comes to demanding shows because of the low returns compounded with other factors such as being unfairly associated with gangs and drug dealing. With competition from other cheaper to produce shows such as Mexican soaps the average African American will have to wait a little bit longer before they can get their own shown on cable networks. The promotion of black-cast shows has not been forthcoming with all parameters in cable networks turning a blind eye on the importance of a balanced viewership by audiences. With the storylines of other kinds being recycled over and over again the networks have deliberately looked the other way instead of tapping the unharnessed potential of all the stories that could be changed into stars. This in turn has led to the formation of a network for black-cast viewing, BET (Black Entertainment Television). It exclusively airs black content while creating awareness of the deliberate attempt by rigid forces to lock out the stories of minorities.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Dancing in September specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More My ideal African American show would have to be The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. The show is about a young Will who moves to West Philadelphia to live with his aunt and uncle in Bel-air (Diaz, 2011). This contrasts with his previous lifestyle. The show’s premise is all about how Will was able to surplus all the pressure of maintaining his ‘hood’ past and concentrate on the lessons to learn from his experience. The central conflict plays out such that Will is against society. He is placed in an unfamiliar setting where he is found wanting in most of his actions such as his etiquette. This leads to him learning the ropes anew while also using his past experiences to move past hurdles he encounters daily. The person who I feel would be able to capture and own the position of Will would have to be Eddie Griffin while Will’s uncle would have to be Denzel Washington. Eddie would be able to capture the humor while also charm his way out of trouble if need be. I felt the underprivileged boy would be better played by a person who would look the part which Eddie would comfortably do. On my decision to cast Denzel I thought he would suit the wealthy uncle while also looking the part as well. The film maker should ensure the script is well represented on the screen through cinematography to encompass the theme of the show. He /she is charged with creating the scenes scripted in a manner that captures the audience best while its main purpose would be to evoke emotions. The film maker is also charged with the moral responsibility of not creating biased works where a certain storyline must be observed to create a balance in the story to bring out the story in its entirety without fear or favor. But it goes without saying that all this is within reach and the only limitation to anything is where minds reach their creative end. Works Cited Diaz, Evelyn. â€Å"Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Star Slams Will Smith | News | BET.†Ã‚  Celebrities, Music, News, Fashion, Entertainment, TV Shows and Video | BET.  28 Dec 2011. Web. This essay on Dancing in September was written and submitted by user Edward Sullivan to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Kudler Fine Foods Commitment Orientation

Kudler Fine Foods Commitment Orientation Free Online Research Papers â€Å"Strategic competitiveness can be attained only when the firm’s selected structure is congruent with its formulated strategy† (Gomez-Mejia et al., Chapter 7, pg 28). Kudler Fine Foods continues to manifest growth based on Mrs. Kudler’s original vision of a one stop gourmet food store. Having direct control over hiring, ordering and customer service, she has built the company into an expanding entity. The following is a discussion of strategy implementation, technology and opportunities, strategic recommendations and external forces to be aware of. Most growing companies have used information technologies (IT) to enhance operations and improve customer service. Mrs. Kudler has plans to add to the inventory and ordering automation by introducing new e-commerce capabilities and an online catering link (Kudler Fine Foods Portal, Strategic Plan, pgs 15-16). Strategic Information Systems have the ability to amplify strengths into potential sustainable competitive advantage. For example, British Airways implemented customer service online and self checking at the airports. Though the restructuring effected employee morale due to job loss, the company increased in efficiency and cost leadership. Mrs. Kudler is known for her kindness and generosity to employees, so the company will only prosper with new IT applications. Two main approaches of Strategic Information Systems are mostly used: inwardly focused and outwardly focused. An inwardly focused system is â€Å"focused on enhancing the competitive position of the firm by increasing employees’ productivity, improving teamwork and enhancing communication† (Turban et al., Chapter 13, pg 3). Companies that develop a unifying strategic theme aligned with business unit activities have more of a chance of survival than the mirroring or boom and bust type companies. Thanks to new technology, the internal workings of Kudler Fine Foods can be optimized far beyond the owner’s initial vision. For example, the new website and inventory/ordering automation will allow cash flows to be directed towards geographic expansion instead of traditional operations functions. Outwardly focused technology applications will help Kudler Fine Foods assess the external environment in the gourmet industry. â€Å"Such activities to gather information on competitors are part of competitive intelligence† (Turban et al., Chapter 13, pg 4). Knowledge of other products in demand will help Mrs. Kudler forecast changes and additions needed to remain current with the consumers she maintains. Additionally, developing an awareness of trends occurring will prepare for unpredicted threats to the organizational expansion plans. A strong example is how Frito Lay collects field data from all over the U.S. to assess inventory and product popularity. Common competitive intelligence information used is found on internet newsgroups, store websites, financial statements at the SEC (Securities Exchange Commission), customer input and professional research companies (Turban, Chapter 13, pg 5). Kudler Strategy Developing sustainable competitive advantage requires strategic awareness of how and what a company should focus on. The response strategies that Michael E Porter (and other scholars) has termed are very useful in describing Kudler Fine Foods. Due to the careful attention Mrs. Kudler has given to the company, she exhibits a combination of differentiation, focus and cost leadership. In addition, response strategies such as growth, internal efficiency and customer orientation are also identifiable. â€Å"Kudler Fine Foods is committed to providing our customers with the finest selection of the very best foods and wines so that our culinary visions can come true† (Kudler Fine Foods Portal, Strategic Plan, pg 1). The salient qualities of Mrs. Kudler’s products show differentiation, the commitment to gourmet foods displays focus and new plans to buy direct from local growers will achieve cost leadership. New store locations (growth), information technology applications (int ernal efficiency) and special ordering (customer oriented) are examples of the added response strategies (Turban et al., Chapter 13, pgs 7-8). When Mrs. Kudler found that her community grocery store did not carry the products she needed for her own cooking, the company was born. Vision created Kudler Fine Foods, and this is the main reason that business activities continue to be improved every quarter. The central theme becomes part of the company structure as it expands. Now bakery goods are guaranteed fresh or they are free, special orders are taken, the store promises the freshest of organic meats and seafood, gourmet cheeses are stocked, and also an extensive wine inventory. Reliance on strong customer relationships supported by efficient information technology will hopefully, guarantee the company’s future. â€Å"Success is getting the right customers and keeping them† (Gomez-Mejia et al., Chapter 7, pg 28). Not only is growth important to Mrs. Kudler, she believes in satisfying the customer value chain. â€Å"Strategic management involves the major decisions, business choices, and actions that chart the course of the entire enterprise† (Gomez-Mejia et al., Chapter 7, pg 3). The success of Kudler Fine Foods has much to do with Mrs. Kudler’s effective leadership that inspires employee motivation. Her monthly operations meetings are very democratic which re-enforces transactional/relational bonds with employees. This is very important to the company, because staff members respond best to empowerment and support. By including management in product sampling at all the meetings, Kathy Kudler addresses staff needs that translate into proactive behavior and better results. Tactics to Realize Strategy Developing as a company that will sustain requires an understanding of strategic formulation and implementation. Primary to any strategy is a strong mission statement to define functions of the organization. Ideally, the overarching theme will connect through processes and lead to the completion of enterprise objectives. Kathy Kudler has grown the business because she has transformed her thoughts into a structure that produces returns. â€Å"Strategic intent is internally focused, indicating how the firm tends to use its resources, capabilities and core competencies to win competitive battles†¦strategic mission flows from strategic intent, defining its external focus in terms of what the firm plans to produce and market, utilizing the firm’s internally based core competence† (Gomez-Mejia, Chapter 7, pg 22).Establishing tactics for Mrs. Kudler to formulate successfully and implement her plans must include efficient resource allocation, cost leadership, differentia tion and focus. How the company decides to manifest these strategies, and the combination there of, will decide the future of the company. Suppose that another organization similar to Kudler Fine Foods arrives near to one of her locations. Depending on how sharp management is regarding optimal strategy combinations, the new rival store could decrease Mrs. Kudler’s market share. In this competitive world, one never knows when a developer will hire the best strategists, analyze the gourmet food market and construct an impeccable gourmet store business plan for Orange County. This could devastate the Kudler customer base. Therefore, Mrs. Kudler can mitigate this possible scenario by actively assessing the strength of her advantages and weaknesses in strategy. â€Å"Each generic strategy is vulnerable to different types of attacks† (Porter, Competitive Advantage, pg 21). So often businesses favor cost leadership, which easily loses market share due to lack of differentiation. Management must always remember that efficiency is not gong to achieve competitive advantage alone, but must be married to strategy. Therefore, Mrs. Kudler should consistently remind employees that the consumers are loyal due to her rare/high quality products, customer service and relatively low cost. For now, this is sufficient for her to sustain. Preparing for the future survival of the company, however, requires careful analysis and internal evaluation of how various differentiation concepts will establish loyalty connecting to the customer’s family orientation. Kudler Fine Foods is focused on the gourmet chef, however, will have to formulate and implement ways to secure customers by becoming a part of their lives. Kudler Competitive Awareness As mentioned in the first section of this paper, Strategic Information Systems are more frequently used to enhance a company’s competitive situation. â€Å"Research indicates that the percentage of companies using IT to support competitive intelligence increased from 31 percent in 1993 to about 50 percent in 1999† (Turban et al., Chapter 13, pg 5). The internet has become a powerful strategic tool for organizations to gather data on rival companies. While information technology exponentially grows in the world today, Kudler Fine Foods should take advantage of applications for more informed strategic decisions. An effective way for Mrs. Kudler to update her processes of analysis is to hire an experienced person trained in competitive intelligence IT applications. The company only has 2 computer support technicians on staff meant to solve tech problems. In order to function in this fast pace, constantly changing world, she will need to add competent analysts. Confronting un-predictable competition through active internal business intelligence should always bring hope to an organization’s stability. Conclusion The central point of this paper was to discuss the necessity for commitment orientation when deciding on formulation and implementation strategies. â€Å"In reality, strategy formulation and implementation are two sides of the same coin† (Gomez-Mejia et al., Chapter 7, pg 28). Mrs. Kudler’s company has a brilliant chance of continuing the positive cash flow it has been earning. All the organization has to do is accept the fact that strategy combinations and information technology is essential in updating and securing substantial returns. Mrs. Kudler will succeed by creating a connection between the store products/cooking ware and the consumer’s lives. This will help develop the sought after sustainable competitive advantage. References Chase, Richard E. Jacobs, Robert. Aquilano, Nicholas J. (2006) Operations Management for a Competitive Advantage 11e. New York: The McGraw Hill Companies. Gomez-Mejia, Luis R. Balkin, David B. (2002) Management 1e. New York : The McGraw Hill Companies. Kudler Fine Foods Virtual Organization. Retrieved July 2, 2008. University of Phoenix rEsource, MBA-502 course material. Porter, Michael E. (1985) Competitive Advantage-Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance. New York: The Free Press. Porter, Michael E. (1980) Competitive Strategy-Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors. New York: The Free Press. Turban, Efraim. Rainer, R. Kelly. Potter, Richard E. (2003) Introduction to Information Technology. New York: John Wiley and Sons Inc. Research Papers on Kudler Fine Foods Commitment OrientationAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaRiordan Manufacturing Production PlanOpen Architechture a white paperThe Project Managment Office SystemBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalMoral and Ethical Issues in Hiring New EmployeesPETSTEL analysis of IndiaMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductDefinition of Export Quotas

Introduction - Rationale - Conclusion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Introduction - Rationale - Conclusion - Essay Example Tentative research show that the use of the internet for marketing purposes can make the operators of tourism and travel services easily bridge this gap between the suppliers and the consumers. As already previously discussed, tourism is reliant on a cycle known as the travel cycle, which entails dreaming, researching, booking, experiencing then sharing of the experience (Leigh et al 2013, p.90). The dreaming stage of the traveller or the tourist occurs at the preliminary stages mostly when the potential tourist or traveller uses the internet to look for the most affordable and reliable means of travel by reviewing web pages or videos that ultimately inspires him to want to travel. The consumer then researches and narrows down on his travel options through the making of requests through queries. This is the most important stage for the future successful tourism or travel supplier as it enables the collection and evaluation of the path that determines the path and the power of the tou rist or traveller towards purchasing. Knowing what is likely to happen in the future fascinates each and every man kind and tourists are no exception (Yeoman 2012, p.1). In tourism circles this is significant in the sense that it helps us understand tourism from a sustainability point of view as the industry players that is the tourism and travel suppliers become more prepared and find out the best answers to challenges that are likely to be met in future. The importance of future tourism is intertwined with that of the travel agencies especially those that are internet-based. Tourism experts agree that the internet is an important factor in the distribution and communication of services and products to the global market and eventually all players in this field may be forced to embrace the internet as a means of marketing for the services. Despite this, others argue that the internet will not automatically make the travel agencies dispensable as there are still consumers who insist on the personal touch that may be offered by physical agents as the information supplied needs to be in a continuous manner. The internet as a tool used for marketing is therefore complementary to the physical tourism and travel agent (Palmer and McCole 1999, pp.33-47). Other researchers look at the relevance of the internet based travel agencies as merely to reduce cost by eliminating the intermediaries who increase the total costs incurred in procuring a travel or tourism service or product (Barnett and Standing 2001, P.143). The travel industry and the tourism industry is therefore a major user of the internet that needs to constantly seek new methods of improving the services and products offered to consumers in order to fit in the current and future trends in marketing. Rationale The revolution of the internet is applicable in all aspects of the public especially those wishing to travel. This calls for traveler and tourism suppliers to investigate what motivates consumers of th e tourism and travel services to go into the internet to shop or buy products and services online. The reason for the increased uptake of internet in the marketing of travel products can be attributed to factors such as the ability of one to have one-to-one marketing and can support an interaction between the