3/29/2020 0 Comments The Virgin Group of Companies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 wordsThe Virgin Group of Companies - Essay Example The Virgin Group of Companies has managed to grow over the years from being a simple student magazine to mail order music retailer to one of the easily recognizable global brand names today. Despite its size, it has remained an entrepreneurial company that values innovation and risk-taking whenever an opportunity exists and wherever a market beckons. Contrary to what most business experts would opine, it has benefited from the diversity of its business lines by using synergies between related industries. Becoming a conglomerate did not make the Virgin Group lose its small business mindset which is to take calculated risks after conducting a rigorous market study on its prospective investments. Further, this small firm mentality translates into not only a constant search for innovative ideas but also to some powerful business drivers like employee empowerment and customer feedback. All of this is due to the fact Sir Richard Branson maintains a hands-on approach to management, reflected in its thin management layer, a tiny corporate board and an even tinier corporate offices. Besides having a somewhat unique business name, this group thrived on the concept of working harder to exploit certain market distortions, customer dissatisfaction and decidedly calculated risk taking. Its diverse businesses is a source of its strength, contrary to what some experts say. Having a maverick chief executive with a penchant for publicity stunts is a big help but that is not the only success factor. The diversity of its business areas allowed for synergies to be derived from related companies and nowhere is this shown concretely than in the case of Virgin Holidays in relation to Virgin Atlantic Airways. It basically catered to the same market segment – people who took flights from London to either New York or Miami. The global travel industry can be characterized as an oligopoly where a few market players control a big size of the industry. This is known in economic theory as C4 where the top four firms control 60% or more of an industrys total sales.Â
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The Collape of Animal Farm In today’s world, people have always strived to create a utopian society. In the novel ANIMAL FARM written by George Orwell, the animals strive to create their own utopian society based on equality and prosperity. Animalism was created to, as like the Ten Commandments, Animalism’s Seven Commandments were rules for the animals to live by. However, similar to God’s rules, Animalism was a difficult concept for all the animals to follow and live by. Secondly, the collapse of Animal Farm was due to the animal’s own intelligence and their ability to fully understand how the farm was being run. Finally, the failure of Animal Farm was due to in large part by the pigs power over the other animals and the greed and desires that the pigs wanted to achieve. Therefore, the collapse of Animal Farm had to do with Animalism itself, the animals, and the corruption of the pigs. Animalism had a great effect on Animal Farm. In the beginning of the novel, all the animals cared only for one thing. The defeat of Mr. Jones, and the equality of each animal. After Mr. Jones was finally defeated, and the animals were on their own, the Seven Commandments, (similar to the Ten Commandments) were established. The Seven Commandments were to be the principles of Animalism, an unalterable law by which all animals must live by. The pigs, Snowball and Napoleon along with the other animals, decided to inscribe the commandments on the wall, in large white lettering, so that they never be forgotten. These commandments were established for the good of each animal, to maintain order and a peaceful life on the farm. Old Major, the prized middle white boar, taught Animalism and the commandments. He was the leader of the animal’s rebellion. Old Major was the one who led the way for the animals, and taught them exactly what Animalism meant. He clearly states this in the speech he gave, a few days before his death. “Among us animals let there be perfect unity, perfect comradeship in the struggle. All men are enemies. All animals are comrades.†In the beginning, the animals lived each day the way Old Major taught them to. However, throughout the novel, Animalism slowly began to break away. Men were becoming comrades to the pigs, and the other animals were played as fools. The farm was collapsing little by little. Due to the animal’s low understanding and intelligence, th... ... read what was written there. But it appears to me that that wall looks different. Are the Seven Commandments the same as they used to be Benjamin?†It was true, the wall was different. All the commandments were gone, except for one single commandment which read, “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.†The pig’s power had taken over Animal Farm. They had completely ravaged everything they once believed in. Even the name was changed back to Manor Farm. Napoleon was no longer an animal, nor the leader of the animals. He was a human, and an inspiration to other humans. Everything was gone, and Animal Farm, was no more. Consequently, Animal Farm was beyond repair. Due to animalism itself, the animals, and the corruption of the pigs, Animal Farm was collapsed. Everything the animals did to overcome humans, to gain equality and prosperity was done for nothing. Without a doubt, the collapse of Animal Farm was never engaged to happen, the pigs always did want power. Their power destroyed everything that Old Major asked of them. Animals for centuries to come, will never have the equality they deserve, due to a few rules which were not able to be attained.
Tv Gives Children Unrealistic Expectations Essay A few months after my friend Angela, who lives in Santo Domingo, acquired access to premium channels such as HBO, Cinemax, etc. her eight years old daughter asked her one night: Mom, are there poor people in the United States? This could have been a Joke if it were not so revealing. My friend realized that the luxurious scenes shown on television were not only giving her daughter a false idea about life in the United States, but they could also be creating unrealistic expectations in the girls mind concerning life in general. The same situation is faced by children and eenagers all over the United Sates. To a childs eyes, television represents a parallel reality with its own rules and laws, a reality in which everything is not only possible and easy, but is obviously more appealing to his/her mind than the sometimes bleak or deprived household in which he or she lives. The problem is real and is not going away. On the contrary, it is only strengthened by the leading role played by television in the upbringing of children, as parents are forced to work long hours and depend more and more on the electronic nanny for the childrens entertainment. Unfortunately, the damage done to the children is serious and has unpredictable consequences in the long run. On the one hand, we have a powerful industry that feeds on audiences regardless of their age, sex or personal characteristics; an industry that harness the imagination of the viewers and, as such, has limitless resources and only one goal: production. On the other hand, we have a defenseless child who spends long hours in front of a TV set, sometimes in the privacy of his own room. Children do not have the ability to analyze or screen the information presented to them. All the images and messages rapped up in the movies, programs or commercials go straight through to the subconscious mind of a child and become the storeroom from which he will draw tomorrow in response to the demands of his environment. Studies performed at MIT have demonstrated that the brain is more active during our sleep than during the times we watch TV. It is precisely that passivity which entraps the child and renders him helpless. Watching TV is not a creative activity. The child does not have to do anything only sit there and absorb the images and the sounds, Just like a plant absorbs the sun. This characteristic makes TV and ideal way o escape reality and go into a world of our own making where everything is possible. Additionally, children can find that TV is a less demanding and more peaceful place to be than their homes, with parents quarreling all the time, when they are present It is in this way that superheroes, gangsters or the latest rock star form a solid bond with our children and it is here they learn to mimic them. We have all learned of cases where children have Jumped from high buildings, expecting to fly or have killed their little sibling Just as seen on their favorite movie. But these are only the most
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