Possibility Of A Gender Neutral Language English Language Essay

Possibility Of A Gender Neutral Language English Language Essay As the story in the Book of Genesis goes God created man and then created women. This joke makes fun of this and is an example of sexist language because it represents men in a light of inadequacy compared to women. But, for every joke that represents men in this light there is an even greater amount of language that is used to discriminate against women. Lu Min (2009) explains that sexist language is that which uses words, phrases, and expressions that unnecessarily differentiate between women and men or exclude, trivialize, or diminish either gender(26). Phrases such as best man for the job or occupational titles such as policeman or fireman are masculine in their description. This sort of language excludes women who could in fact be the best person for the job or similarly, a police officer or firefighter. Language is always changing and in fact in recent years there has been a push for more gender-neutral language as opposed to the sexist language that is already in place. Leaper and Bigler (2004) explain that there has been a shift in peoples speech and writing away from the generic use of the masculine pronouns he and masculine compound nouns such as chairman. Instead, it is now common to find people using gender-inclusive language such as he or she or chairperson (138). There is some debate on whether we should have a gender-neutral language or not. Those in support of a gender-neutral language feel that if this were put into place there would be equality for everyone. Those who are against changing the language that is already in place argue that phrases such as you guys or mankind are already considered gender-inclusive because they refer to all people regardless of gender. They simply see these words, phrases, and expressions as a quirk in the English language. While there are s everal languages that use masculine forms such as Chinese, Spanish, and Italian, the focus of my paper will be on English in various parts of the world. I believe that the current masculine forms of language are not inclusive and that there should be more of a push for gender-neutral language whenever possible. Changes in language will inevitably take course through the duration of time and if more people who speak English become aware of the gender-bias that currently is in place eventually we may be able to have a language that is more gender-inclusive. From my research, Ive observed that there is currently a trend of making language more inclusive. For example, in America in a study done at Virginia Commonwealth University, researchers found that there was consciousness of gendered-biased language as being sexist. Similarly, young people in Australia who speak English, since the 1980s, have been pushing for more generic phrases when referring to individuals. In Hong Kong, speakers of English prefer a masculine form of language but through studying college students they have found that feminist movements in the West are having great impacts on the way young people speak. Deborah Cameron (1992) cites Robin Lakoffs Language and Womans Place which asserts that there is a characteristic register or womens language consisting of certain linguistic gestures and connoting tentativeness, deference, and lack of authority. Women are socialized into using this style of speech as part of their subordinate social position (15). This is what experts would classify as the dominance approach because it demonstrates a power/powerless relationship among men and women. Another approach that Cameron cites is the difference approach which claims that differences in the speech behaviors between men and women come about due to the differences in socialization. As the author puts it, in most cultures there is still considerable social segregation of the sexes, and children learn their conversational strategies for the most part in single-sex peer groups. Research suggests that these are organized differently for the two sexes (15). Leaper and Bigler (2004) invoke the work o f Whorfian who says that language shapes thought (131). More specifically, they argue that some previous research supports the notion that the use of gendered language and having gender-stereotypic thoughts are reciprocally related (131). This goes back to the example of occupational title such as policeman, congressman, or waitress as having to do with the particular person in that position. As I mentioned earlier there is a group of individuals who believe that the English Language is already gender-inclusive. To this group of individual the phrase man would be used as a means of classifying both men and women such as the term mankind. This is illogical for several reasons. For example, if we take this idea of the term man encompassing both males and females and apply it to a similar set of words we quickly find that it does not hold. We can say that a miniature poodle and an alligator are both animals. The term animal like man is being used in a generic sense. It would be correct to say that every miniature poodle is an animal. It would also be correct to say that every alligator is an animal. While at a park you may hear someone say I see an animal. There is no real need to specify whether that animal is an alligator or a dog if that person is just making an observation. There are certain times, however, that this information may be useful. If someones life was being threatened by an alligator you may hear another individual warm the person about to be attacked by saying Thats an alligator! instead of just using the generic animal. If we take the generic term person which can mean either a male or female and use it in the following sentence: This person is having a baby we would assume that this person is a female. To say that this man is having a baby would not only sound funny but it would also be incorrect. Men simply cannot have babies. So, if the term man was generic in what it refers to, either males or females, it would be acceptable to say that man had a baby. Again, we run into a problem of the term not being generic in what it is referring to and thus proves that the term man does not subsume both terms of describing gender. Kenichi Namai (2000) cites a study by Greenbaum and Quirk that explains that in English, gender is not a feature of nouns themselves (as in such languages as German or Russian). Rather, it relates directly to the meanings of nouns, with particular reference to biological sex (771). What the author is basically arguing is that English should not show any grammatical agreements betw een terms such as those that are used to refer to gender. In the article, Namai gives the example sentence he hit herself (773). This sentence is incorrect for what Namai explains as not being a syntactic disagreement with the antecedent and reflexive but says that the conflict arises from a disagreement between the antecedents in terms of sex (774). So if we refer back to the problem of the sentence that man had a baby we see that the problem arises from a disagreement in terms of sex. This would mean that the identification of man being inclusive of all genders is incorrect. Jochnowitz (1982) cites a similar argument from Robin Lakoff who says My feeling is that this area of pronominal neutralization is both less in need of changing, and less open to change, than many of the other disparities that have been discussed earlier, and we should perhaps concentrate our efforts where they will be most fruitful (200). This is surprising because this article is written as Jochonowitz claims from a feminist perspective, yet the author [Lakoff] does not advocate abandoning indefinite he (200). Murdock and Forsyth (1985) in a discussion of Lakoff say that Lakoff would agree that the generic he does refer more to men than to women, but notes that the long-range consequences of the oft-used phrase may be fairly trivial (40). The two studies by Murdock and Forsyth were conducted to define reactions to gender-biased language empirically (39). What they aimed at finding out, as the title of their work suggests, is gender-biased language considered sexist. In the first st udy individuals were asked to evaluate the sexism in several sentences that contained no bias, used words as man or he in the generic sense, or referred to women in an unfair, stereotypical manner (39). The second study focused on examining reactions in a more naturalistic context by asking respondents to evaluate an essay written using all plural pronouns, generic pronouns, or generic pronouns plus evaluative stereotypic phrasings (39). What Murdock and Forsyth discovered was that the reactions to gender-biased language were taken as being sexist. This goes back to the original argument that gender-biased language is in fact not inclusive of both sexes. Another particular finding for Murdock and Forsyth that is surprising is that all do not agree concerning the sexist nature of masculine-biased language (47). Lead this to Æ’Â  Hong Kong English Æ’Â   Australian English Look for Strahan Discussion NoteÆ’Â   Conclusion

Marbury V Madison Case and Its Implications

Marbury V Madison Case and Its Implications The Head of State John Adams, who was a Federalist, lost his bid to Thomas Jefferson, a Republican, after re-elected in 1800. However, Adams and the Federalists still had power for a few months before Jefferson took office. During these months, Adam influenced Congress to pass the Judiciary Act of 1801. The Act enabled Adams to appoint some new federal judges in hope that the Judiciary would be filled with people opposed to the Republican policies and Adams appointed 39 judges. The acting Secretary of State John Marshall had to deliver the official documents for their appointments. John Marshall would later on become the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the originator of the Judicial review. However, he failed to deliver the documents to three judges before Adam’s term ended, and in particular, the appointment of William Marbury (Infoplease, 2005). Unfortunately, Jefferson learned of Adam’s schemes and the failure to deliver the remaining documents after assuming office. Jefferson then instructed James Madison, his secretary of state, to decline the appointments. William Marbury went before the Supreme Court to issue an order compelling Madison to authorize his appointment. According to the Judiciary Act of 1789, the Supreme Court had jurisdiction to issue such orders. The major issues underlining this case was whether or not Marbury had the right to the commission and whether the Supreme Court had the authority to review the constitutionality of Acts of Congress. Additionally, the case brought light to the question of whether the Congress could broaden the scope of the Supreme Court’s mandate above those specified in the Constitution (This day in history, 2009). The Court unanimously agreed that Marbury had a right to his appointment and that the Judicial Act was unconstitutional. According to Justice Marshall, the Congress had no mandate to give the Supreme Court powers to issue an order granting Marbury his appointment. Justice Marshall argued that if Acts of Congress conflict with the Constitution, the Acts are not binding in a court of law. Also, the judiciary’s responsibility was to uphold the constitution. However, the constitution did not indicate the Supreme Court having such jurisdiction. Consequently, the Court could not compel Madison and Thomas Jefferson to appoint Marbury (Infoplease, 2005). The Court ruling in Marbury v Madison paved the way for a key precedent, the Judicial Review. Justice Marshall interpreted the Constitution to imply the Supreme Court had powers for judicial reviews. The Supreme Court had the powers to review acts of Congress and the President. Also, the Court could overrule a law they thought was unconstitutional. If laws were in conflict with each other, the Court had the mandate to decide their individual operations. The Constitution indicates that the Supreme Court had original jurisdiction in cases relating to ambassadors and public ministers. However, the Court had appellate jurisdiction in all other cases (This day in history, 2009). Consequently, President Jefferson and the Republicans eliminated the newly appointed judges by revoking the Judiciary Act in 1802. Additionally, the Congress Impeached Justice Samuel Chase, a Supreme Court judge, but later on acquitted him (Infoplease, 2005). References Infoplease (2005). Marbury v. Madison case. Retrieved from  http://www.infoplease.com/us/supreme-court/cases/ar20.html. Migration Information Source. (2013) Immigration in the United States: New Economic, Social, Political Landscapes with Legislative Reform on the Horizon. Retrieved from  http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/immigration-united-states-new-economic-social-political-landscapes-legislative-reform Burt, L. Batalova, J. ( 2014).Refugees and Asylees in the United States.Retrieved from  http://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/refugees-and-asylees-united-states This Day in History. (2009). Marbury V. Madison Establishes Judicial Review. Retrieved from  http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/marbury-v-madison-establishes- judicial-review

Comparing Death of A Salesman and The Zoo Story :: comparison compare contrast essays

Death of A Salesman and The Zoo Story         Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Arthur Miller's   Death of A Salesman , is considered a to be one of the great masterpieces of American Literature.   Comparatively, Edward Albee's, The Zoo Story, is also an incredible work of art. Miller and Albee both depict a the struggles of man in relationships.   Interestingly, both plays seem to parallel each other throughout both works of literature.        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Death of a Salesman tells a story of a distressed father, named Willy who struggles with his tenous relationship with his son, Biff.   Willy's personal failures have led him to try an live vicariously through his son Biff. Willy Loman is an elderly salesmen lost in false hopes and illusions. The sales firm that he worked for no longer paid him salary. Working on straight commission, Willy could not bring home enough money to pay his bills. After many years with the firm, he was no a commodity to the company.   They have spent his energy and discarded him like an old pair of shoes. Willy's sons, Biff and Hap, are both failures, however Willy refuses to come to terms with this bleak reality. He wants his sons, especially Biff, to succeed where he has not. He believes his boys are great and cannot understand why they are not successful. This is a major source of conflict throughout the play. As Willy has grown older, he has trouble distinguishing between the past and present, between illusion and reality, and is often lost in flashbacks where much of the story is told. These flashbacks are generally during the summer after Biff's senior year of high school when all of the family problems began. Willy has had an affair with a women he meets on sales trips and once caught by Biff. Now, Biff does not respect Willy and they do not get along. Willy eventually commits suicide so that Biff can have the insurance money to become successful. Ben is Willy's dead brother who appears to Willy during his flashbacks and times of trouble. Ben was a rich man who made it big in the diamond mines of Africa. Willy once was given the chance to become partners with Ben, but refused and instead choose the life that he currently lives.

Slavery In Latin America Essay -- Slavery Essays

Slavery In Latin America   Ã‚  Ã‚  Slavery in the Americas was quite diverse. Mining operations in the tropics experienced different needs and suffered different challenges than did plantations in more temperate areas of Norther Brazil or costal city’s serving as ports for the exporting of commodities produced on the backs of the enslaved peoples from the African continent. This essay will look at these different situations and explore the factors that determined the treatment of slaves, the consequences of that treatment, and the conditions that lead to resistance by the slaves working in their various capacities.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After the initial conquest of Mexico and South America it was time to develop the economy and export the resources that would benefit the monarchy back home in Spain and Portugal. Silver and Gold were two such commodities. Silver mines in Northern Mexico were supervised by blacks who directed the Indians in the arduous task of extracting the precious metal. Gold in Central Mexico was also mined by blacks. The Gold mining regions were hot, tropical, isolated areas of the jungle. The regions were sparsely populated and it was difficult to keep the locals as a work force. The introduction of disease in the tropics made these areas death zones to the indigenous people as they had no resistance to the virulent plagues. There was a need to get cheap or free labor that would be capable of resisting the disease and who would be easier to dominate than the locals who could run off and establish themselves elsewhere relatively easily. The natural answer was to obtain slaves from the African continent. The slave trade was already in operation on the African continent. Coastal cities there often enslaved inland peoples so it was not difficult to obtain the stock and export them to the Americas.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Slaves in the mining regions were subject to harsh, isolated conditions. There were few females and little or no community amongst the slaves. Some of the workers did have access to money and as a result could negotiate there freedom for a price. In 1732 1/3 of the African population of Choco was free as a result. Less fortunate slaves who found the conditions unbearable fled to even more isolated areas of the back country to survive on their own or in small colonies.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Sugar plantations of Northern Brazil were a major c... ...so manumission possibilities increased. Slaves isolated from family life and culture working in miserable conditions were often flight risks as they had no real options and the terrain lent to good hiding. There were also no whites around to hire as cheap labor to search them out and return them. Mulatto and Criollo slaves were higher on the socioeconomic ladder than the Bozal and were therefore less likely to resist as they were a step away from freedom which meant they would not consider fleeing as good an option as remaining in the social circle and family they had established.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Slavery under any conditions is not the optimum existence for human beings. It is a fact that human nature seeks to dominate. Greed and money are often at the root of such efforts. The Israelites, the Irish, the Africans, and enumerable other groups have heritage that includes a period of slavery or of enslaving or both. African Cimarron communities even enslaved other African fleeing the plantations. It is not rooted in race as much as it is rooted in human nature. The preceding essay is just a synopsis of how it functioned for African’s in certain regions during a space in history.

Essay --

â€Å"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.† 1 Corinthians 10:13 Rob & Burgandie Onekea with their two sons Derion (16) and Brandon (13) Rob & Burgandie Onekea with their two sons Derion (16) and Brandon (13) Online purity is a daily battle for many brothers and sisters in Christ. Taking control of your purity is something that is crucial to your spiritual walk with God; indeed, if you are continually losing this struggle, your salvation is at stake. For the Scriptures are forthright, â€Å"But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or any kind of impurity or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people†¦ For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person – such a man is an idolater – has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and of God.† (Ephesians 5:3-5) Ricardo is moved by his baptism! Ricardo is moved by his baptism! How many of us have been doing great spiritually, when suddenly you receive an email with an inappropriate image inside? Do we easily hit the delete button or are we ensnared the minute that we see the link? David fought a losing battle for purity, as he stood on the rooftop of the palace gazing into the area where Bathsheba was bathing. (2 Samuel 11) David could have chosen to look away, but his sinful desire compelled him to summon her to commit adultery. Sadly, after this affair, Bathsheba told David, â€Å"I am pregnant.† The consequences of David’s sin were many: the death of Uriah the Hittite (Bathsheba’s husband and one of David’s mighty men), the embittering of Ahithophel (Bathsh... ... Net Nanny. Adult websites have a wealth of resources at their disposal, which make it difficult to protect your home from pornography. Therefore, it is key to take things a step further and implement changes on your home computer. We easily spend $60 on the latest version of Halo or taking a family of four to see The Dark Knight, why then the lack of investment for our online purity? Most companies offer trial versions to download for 30 days to see if it works for you. As a brother who is now experiencing the victorious life, I would strongly recommend installing one of these programs. To download a trial version, click here. As our war for online purity continues, let us take up God’s spiritual weapons as well as our modern tools, and fight with everything we have for our salvation, for the salvation of our families and for the salvation of this very lost world.

Beowulf Biblical Allusions Essay

Therefore, taking Christ and comparing him to the equally gallant and exciting ere Beowulf from the poem â€Å"Beowulf,† demonstrates the ways that the two figures share numerous similar qualities. In many ways, â€Å"Beowulf† has countless connections to the well-known Christian bible. The most obvious relation to the bible that â€Å"Beowulf† has is the link that the character Beowulf shows to Jesus Christ. Beowulf functions as the Jesus Christ figure in the poem, with explicit associations between the two heroes. Jesus Christ is known to be the savior to his people. He Is kind and assists those In need.Beowulf shares this characteristic with Christ. Beowulf comes to Warthogs to offer neighborly help with no selfish Intentions In defeating the monster that has brought chaos to the Danes. In many ways Beowulf has been considered a savior to the Danes, and was highly regarded. The connection with Christ and Beowulf Is apparent with this presentation of Christ and Beowulf character. Jesus Christ and Beowulf also share common fates. When all but one disciple abandoned Christ, he was left alone to die by the crucifix. There is a connection to this biblical event when Beowulf is an elder fighting the dragon.All of his comrades left him to die, with the exception of Wigwag. These events bond the two figured together, and further prove Beowulf characterization duteous Christ. Christ also is destined to be at a constant battle with Satan. Beowulf Is similar to this with the fact that he must also constantly battle satanic creatures such as Greened, Grenade's Mother, and the Dragon. The link between the two figures Is thus further proven and Is apparent In this epic poem. Beowulf and Christ together are two tremendously comparable figures In the poem â€Å"Beowulf,† and the Bible.Anglo-Saxon pagan ideals contrast heavily with the Biblical allusions that Beowulf brings to the poem, and yet bring Beowulf and Christ closer together as one analo gous character. Christ and Beowulf bring comfort to their people, and serve as saviors to them as they valiantly battle and sacrifice their lives to the evil Satanic powers. However, despite the alleged respect and honor that the characters' people have for them, they both lose their lives due to betrayal. Jesus is left to die by reason of his traitorous disciples, and similarly Beowulf is abandoned in Attlee by his cowardly fellow warriors.Both figures met the same fate, and lost their lives. These events not only connect Beowulf to Christ In the poem, but also show that the poem has many Biblical allusions within Its context. Furthermore, while many people can easily be Inspired by Jesus Christ, many have yet to understand the similar aspects that Beowulf shares with Christ. It Is clear that the widely known Bible has influence everywhere in the world- among people and literature. Jesus Christ is acknowledged in a multitude of other famous literary works.

Marketing Strategy at Ikea Essay

Synopsis The case study is to discuss about the different strategy used by IKEA to approach their customers. It is also talking about the localization concept from a global company based on the cultural demand from different countries worldwide. IKEA is also famous for their less expensive furniture, has some other strategies to â€Å"reach† the customers based on their needs. 4 Ps concept plays a very important role on IKEA’s success besides the way of shopping which is differ from all other their competitor. Company Background 1920s At the age of five Ingvar Kamprad starts selling matches to his next door neighbors and by the time he is seven, he starts selling to further neighborhood, using his bicycle. He buy matches in huge numbers cheap and re-sell them individually at a very low price but still make a good profit. From selling matches he expands to selling flower seeds, greeting cards, Christmas tree decorations, and later pencils and ball-point pens. 1940s-1950s The roots of a furniture dealer, Ingvar Kamprad is entrepreneurial in developing IKEA into a furniture retailer. This period sees the exploration of furniture design, self assembly, advertising, the use of a catalogue and a showroom to reach the many people. 1960s-1970s The IKEA concept starts to take place. New IKEA stores opened and hero products are developed such as POÄNG, KLIPPAN and BILLY bookcase. It is a time where concept takes shape and is documented in Ingvar Kamprad’s The Testament of a Furniture Dealer. 1980s IKEA expands dramatically into new markets such as USA, Italy, France and the UK. More IKEA classics arrive such as LACK and MOMENT. IKEA begins to take  the form of today’s modern IKEA. 1990s IKEA grows more by introducing Children’s IKEA and the focus is on home furnishing solutions to meet the needs of families with children. The IKEA Group is formed and responsibility for people and the environment is seen as a prerequisite for doing good business. 2000s IKEA expands into new markets such as Japan and Russia. Everything for the bedroom and kitchen is explored and presented in coordinated furnishing solutions. This period also sees the successes of several partnerships regarding social and environmental projects. IKEA’s Vision and Business Idea IKEA’s vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people. Their business idea supports this vision by offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them. IKEA’s mission: People have very thin wallet. We should take care of their interests. IKEA’s Product RangeIngvar Kamprad The IKEA product range focuses on good design and function at a low price. It offers home furnishing solutions for every room in the home. It has something for the romantic at heart, the minimalist and everyone in between. It is coordinated so that no matter which style you prefer our designers and product developers work hard to ensure that our products meet your day-to-day needs and eliminates the unnecessary. IKEA’s Low Prices Low prices are the cornerstone of the IKEA vision and our business idea. The basic thinking behind all IKEA products is that low prices make well-designed, functional home furnishings available to everyone. We are constantly trying to do everything a little better, a little simpler, more efficiently and always cost-effectively. A better everyday life We have taken the straightforward approach to the furniture business, by starting with developing furniture with the price tag in mind. This is the IKEA way, to maximize the use of raw materials in order to fulfill people’s needs and preferences by offering quality products at an affordable price. Social & Environmental Responsibility In 2004, IKEA published their first Social and Environmental Responsibility report. IKEA believes good society is good for IKEA with the passionate to create successful business in a responsible manner. That’s the reason sustainability is very important for IKEA’s strategic direction. Prioritizing sustainability drives further innovation and development. Managing resources with new ways to do things and developing skill set and expertise are very important in driving IKEA’s business. As a company with low price product must be a low cost company which include earth’s limited resources usage in a good manner. IKEA has made tremendous and valuable contribution across the world. Forests of Siberia, cotton fields of India, homes in New York, Lisbon and Shanghai are good examples of sustainability. IKEA blue bags are big, sturdy and sustainable. Out with plastic bags! In with reusable bags! SWOT analysis IKEAs objectives are easily achieved via their SWOT analysis and it is a  strategic planning tool too. It helps the business to focus on key issues. SWOT is the first step of planning based on the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats involved in a business. Strengths and weaknesses are internal aspects and it is within the control of the business. They may refer to aspects of marketing, finance, manufacturing or organization. Opportunities and threats are external factors and they are outside the control of the business. These may include the environment, the economic situation, social changes or technological advances, such as the internet. Strengths Strengths could include a company’s specialist marketing expertise or its location. IKEA’s strengths include: a.Low cost structure At any economic situation, IKEA able to maintain the profit margin due to their â€Å"affordable† products. IKEA buy the products in bulk from suppliers with a lower price and get their customers to assemble the product by themselves, which gives customer a lower price product. Their long term partnership with their suppliers also ensures they have access to high quality material at reasonable prices. Their furniture is stylish, modern and functional. The company’s low cost structure is able to meet the customers’ need at any point of economic condition. b.Sustainability IKEA’s cost effective and Social & Environmental Responsibility concept is a unique strength of IKEA compare to their other competitors. IKEA use renewable, reusable and recycled materials as much as possible. Example, IKEA’s catalogues are printed in chlorine-free paper and contain at least 10% to 15% post consumer waste. All of their products come in cardboard, compact packaging for easy use and recyclability. These make IKEA outstanding from their competitors. Opportunities A business uses its strengths to take advantage of the opportunities that arise. IKEA believes that its environmentally focused business conduct will result in good returns even in a price sensitive market. Some of the opportunities that IKEA takes advantage of through its sustainability agenda are: a.IKEA can further invest on the â€Å"go green† movement and IKEA’s customers’ desire to have less of an impact on the environment. This concept is also denoting the demand for cheaper and greener products. b.Sustainability can be further maintained by offer tips and ideas online for customers to create a more sustainable home in any part of the world. It can also help to reduce carbon footprint by packaging in less material. . Weaknesses and threats Weaknesses IKEA has to acknowledge its weaknesses in order to improve and manage them. This can play a key role in helping it to set objectives and develop new strategies. IKEA’s weaknesses may include: a.The size IKEA is a warehouse style shopping centre. Because of their huge size, there are not enough people in a smaller region to maintain a store at that size. Also, IKEA find it difficult to penetrate a small market because they offer only home furnishing. Unlikely company like Target offer home furnishing besides clothing, groceries and also technology. b.The need for low cost products. This needs to be balanced against producing good quality products too. They are also need to differentiate itself and its products from other competitors. IKEA believes there is no compromise between being able to offer good quality products and low prices. c.Communication Communication or updates on their environmental activities with its consumers and stakeholders must be consistent and up to date. IKEA produces publications in print and online (for example ‘People and the Environment’) and carries out major TV and radio campaigns to enable the business to communicate with different target audiences. Threats If a company is aware of possible external threats, it can plan to counteract them. By generating new ideas, IKEA can use a particular strength to defend against threats in the market. Threats to IKEA may stem from: a.Competition More competitors are now entering the low price household and furnishings markets. Example Home Depot is the 2nd largest retailer in the world and also a huge threat for IKEA. Home Depot also provides hardware, lumber, kitchen appliances, furniture and many other products. IKEA needs to reinforce its unique qualities to compete with this kind of â€Å"giants†. Question 1 – What are some of the things IKEA is doing right to reach consumers in different markets? What else could it be doing? IKEA Group operating 301 stores in 41 countries worldwide (IKEA statistics 2012) including franchisees. IKEA’s marketing strategy starts with their business concept as stated in IKEA’s vision statement: The IKEA vision is to create a better everyday life for the many people. We make this possible by  offering a wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing product at prices so low that as many people as possible can afford them. (IKEA Corporate Website) IKEA has a principle to work in the same way in every country. This standardized approach provides operational advantages besides some disadvantages due to the different markets. Based on the marketing mix which starts with product strategy, product covers more than the physical goods that a company wants to sell. It is the goods & service combination that a company offers to the target market. Thus, IKEA offers a whole range of product with the pricing which supposed to be the same (95%) with very small adaptations for all countries and in all stores worldwide. The pricing of products are comparatively low to what the consumers can find in a competing store. The basic aim of IKEA is to deliver high value at a low price. IKEA has been cutting price in most of the countries. IKEA is also source it’s products from various companies all over the world rather than a small number of suppliers like many of the retailers do. IKEA has 1,300 suppliers from 53 countries, who can supply products as per local taste based on their needs. Most of the IKEA stores are placed out of city centre, out of town location due to a lower land cost and traffic access. Exceptional for UK stores (Coventry – 2007 & Southampton – 2009) located in city centre as a response to UK government restrictions blocking retail establishment outside city centers. It is a seven floors store with a different flow compare to other IKEA stores. Normally the stores will be 2 floors with a car parking availability and also comes with restaurants. The restaurants sell foods according to the local taste and also it opens daily before the rest of the stores. Example in Canada, breakfast includes eggs, sausage, and hash browns and various add-ons like bacon and pancakes at additional costs. In the United States, the local variation serves scrambled eggs, bacon, country potatoes and choice of Swedish pancakes or French toast sticks. The selling environment and service of IKEA stores are also adjusted to fit with local taste. Example like DIY concept is fully accepted by Sweden and UK where the consumers believe that’s the price they pay for the low prices products. Whereby in China, DIY concept is new to them because of the cheap labor and the prices are also not perceived as generally low. Q1.1What else could it be doing? 1.Developing competitive advantage – because IKEA has a low cost structure, they should be able to expand online market easily without incurring too much additional costs. IKEA also should look at an expansion to the West Coast, particularly California. Also, expansion into regions with enough people to sustain a store of their size. 2.Developing a strategic focus – going online is not only reaching potential customers in less populated area, it is also will help customers to catch up with competitors. Besides that, younger people (Gen Y) willing to buy online more compare to the older people. Question 2 – IKEA has essentially changed the way people shop for furniture. Discuss the pros and cons of this strategy. Factors that encourage customer’s choice of visit to IKEA – Pros i.Social motives for the customer – the shoppers go in group since the outlet is huge and it will take time to shop. Also the location is far from city. It’s a kind of short trip instead of shop-visit which consume a lot of time and they prefer to go in a group (friends or family). ii.Availability of other services and amenities – Restaurants (food and beverages) and baby-sitting services within the stores which gives a greater convenient to all customer. Parking is also not an issue since most of the stores located far from the city. iii.Information availability – online info is more useful. Customers can  surf online catalogues in various languages for inspiration and planning purpose before go to the store. This will also help them to catch up with their competitors. Younger generation will be also attracted with this online concept because they are the IT savvy generation compare to the older generation who is still a little â€Å"doubt† about buying online. iv.Access – Operating hours are good. Long hours on weekend very helpful for those customers work odd hours and also busy on weekdays. v.Speed of delivery – no waiting time as they go and pick up their products. Factors that discourage customer’s choice of visit to IKEA – Cons i.Design – the color and bulbs used make the environment dull. Less store assistants and the routes are very long also make customers not really prefer to shop in IKEA. Customers feel bored when they are required to follow one special route instead go direct to the product that they want to purchase. ii.Product availability – difficult to find, stored somewhere else, arrange in an illogical order. Also, ONLY furniture available in IKEA unlikely Home Depot provides all kind of products / items beside furniture. iii.Amount of shopping time  ¬Ã¢â‚¬â€œ it is time consuming. The route makes them to go through all products and to get the product seen before must go a big turn again. Also, customers ended up buying more than planned as going thru all the display products. iv.Assemble yourself – most of the IKEA products are need to be assembled by customers themselves. If you’re a handyman, or someone experienced with tools, it is fine. But for the normal men or even women, assembling some pieces might be slightly difficult. Also it can be ended up doing something wrong. Conclusion In conclusion, IKEA is a good place to shop furniture with a lot of different designs. Less expensive furniture made IKEA grow consistently around the world. IKEA has their own way of sustaining their business for decades. The overall identity of IKEA is based in Smà ¥land, historical and thrift are strong characteristics of the region and its people. All IKEA policies live up to this standard from the products that they sell. Exhibit 1 – Facts & Figures FY2011 References 1.The Testament of a Furniture Dealer – A Little IKEA Dictionary by Ingvar Kamprad (founder). Published by Inter IKEA Systems B.V. 2007 2.Standardized Marketing Strategies in Retailing? IKEA’s marketing Strategies in Sweden, the UK and China by Steve Burt, University of Stirling, 2008. 3.IKEA Facts and Figures -2011 http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_AU/pdf/yearly_summary/Welcome_inside_2011.pdf 4.Student Info – IKEA http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_GB/about_ikea/press_room/student_info.html 5.The IKEA Experience – A case study on how different factors in retail environment affect customer experience by Rebecka Isaksson & Mirela Suljanovic. 6.History – IKEA http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_GB/about_ikea/the_ikea_way/history/index.html 7.Introduction – SWOT analysis and sustainable business planning – IKEA case studies and information The Times 100 http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/ikea/swot-analysis-and-sustainable-business-planning/introduction.html 8.IKEA International A.S. History & Company Profile http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/ikea-international-a-s-history/ 9.Kerry Capell, â€Å"IKEA: How the Sweedish Retailer Became a Global Cult Brand,† BusinessWeek, November 14, 2005 10.IKEA group corporate site n.d., About the IKEA Group. Cited from (08.05.2009) http://193.108.42.168/?ID=25