Austrailian Civilization essays

Austrailian Civilization essays A countrys foreign policy is only partly the result of decisions made by its government: it is mainly imposed by circumstances. Australia, during the last fifty years, has been a country unsure of its place in the world. She has been bouncing from ally to ally, begging for a place under their umbrella of protection, ignoring and denying her place in the Asian region, and struggling to find a foreign policy that is in the best interest of her welfare and security. Australia truly finds herself, pardon the pun, stuck on a rock in a hard place. The Asian region in the past half-century has been an atmosphere of turmoil and unrest. Communism threatened Australias way of life and the fragile nation that had been preserved so carefully. These threats were very real and right at Australias doorstep. The Australian continent is nearly indefensible, and Australia realized this fact. Ideas such as yellow peril and forward defense dominated the headlines during these turbulent times. Australias small army and enormous size made it a good target for attack. Not to mention the fact that Australia still: ...carried the burden of blame for its past and present racial policies toward Asia. A foreign policy, that could ensure Australias safety, was needed in a hurry. In the following pages I will attempt to show how the Australian foreign policy has evolved due to four different circumstances. First, I will examine the way Australia reluctantly turned away from the United Kingdom and towards the United States for security and protection as a result of turmoil in Asia. Secondly, I will attempt to show how the Communist scare from China and elsewhere, along with the Korean War changed the face of Australian foreign policy forever. Third, I want to show how the Vietnam War was a time of realization and change for Australian foreign policy....

What have been the recent challenges to Steinways value creation Essays

What have been the recent challenges to Steinways value creation Essays What have been the recent challenges to Steinways value creation Essay What have been the recent challenges to Steinways value creation Essay Essay Topic: Marketing Recent * Sustaining handcraft skill in piano design The age long competitive advantage for Steinway in its piano design would have to give way to a modern automated system for quick assembly and reduction in lead time. * Threats of close substitutes -such as the electronic keyboard, new design of personal computers etc as a form of entertainment is feared would erode Steinways market share and its perceive value. * Erosion of brand image The decision within the CBS years (1972-1985) to increase production levels and choice of other methods of marketing through competitor sales distribution outlets opens an opportunity for customers to question Steinways piano quality, uniqueness and perceived brand image. This resulted in declining sales and frequent order cancellations. The used pianos also pose an issue of how Steinway would hold well of its value creation at the customer end1. Relatively, Bostons piano introduction also further eroded Steinways piano; a middle-range product an advance from the traditional offerings. * Competition Strong competition stem from Yamaha and other Asian brand of piano2. These new designs were built on highly automated systems and had quick assembly time than Steinways with a two year manufacturing time. * Customer relations services The competitors are better at rendering a highly valued after sales checks and feedback from their customers than Steinway. There is a track record of begrudged customers who have made official complaints about Steinways service level; an example in the case study is famous pianist Andre Watts who turned to a competitor (Yamaha) purely on this basis. * Ownership Change The frequent acquisitions and ownership change is a great challenge and pproduct quality has become a concern. This would possibly give rise to the problem of continuance of corporate mission. Therefore, its necessary for Steinway to retain its leadership position to fully understand and make attempt to maintain the core competences and brand image for customer retention and loyalty3 What have been the recent challenges to Steinways Value Creation? Competition Main competitors are Yamaha the largest piano manufacturer in the world. Most pianos are vertical units 90% with small grand pianos making up the remaining 10%. Their production is based on highly automated systems resulting in quicker assembly than Steinway, where a grand piano takes 2 years to manufacture. To most users, other than classically trained pianists, Yamaha represents comparable quality to Steinway. After-sales service is also an issue the example in the case study is that of the famous pianist Andre Watts, who defected to Yamaha complaining of a lack of attention and support from Steinway. Brand dilution Steinway is the Rolls-Royce of the piano market. Throughout the CBS years (1972 1985), emphasis was placed on increasing levels of production. Critics began to question the quality of the pianos, and this filtered through to the customer. This ultimately led to a drop in sales and cancelled orders (at one point they had 740 boxed pianos left in stores awaiting shipment)! The release of the Boston piano, in 1992, by the Birmingham Brothers (1985-1995) was a major shift in Steinways brand. This piano is a mid-range product, representing a significant break from tradition.4 Perversely, Steinways quality has become a problem for them. Their pianos are so durable that the market for them is near saturation point. Second-hand units, that hold their value well5, are now competing with sales of new units.

Harlem Renaissance Poets Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Harlem Renaissance Poets - Research Paper Example Moreover, before, poetry and literature had been dominated by the white people and was all about white culture. However, he brought an explosion of black literature; hence, giving the minority groups a voice. He also gave them pride and hope of a brighter future; hence, encouraging them to reject the principles that had been set out by the white models by expressing their creativity and individuality (America’s Story, n.d). Countee Collen was born in the year 1903 in New York and was an American poet and a leading figure during the period of Harlem Renaissance. He played a major role because he was able to establish a new aesthetic as far as racial statement was concerned with the help of his colleagues by writing poems. His formal education in an environment that was full of white people shaped his literary life in believing that no race was superior to the other; hence, wrote poems on racism and how unfair it was. Research shows that he was the most representative voice during that era and helped in ensuring impartiality for all. He also believed that art transcended all races; hence could be used as a means of minimizing the distance between the white and the black people. He also gave hope to black poets by showing them that they could excel in a realm that was dominated by white culture (Poetry Foundation, 2014). The Harlem Renaissance period was characterized by dualism, which was also known as double consciousness that was focused on evaluating whether black artists ought to remain bound to their African roots or cultural assimilation was inevitable for them. For instance, ‘the Negro Speaks of Rivers’ is a poem by Langston Hughes that addresses the rich history of the black people. In his poem, the audiences are able to visualize and create mental images on how the black people struggled with their identity. Hughes uses elements such as symbolism to present the main relationship that existed