...The Battle for Value Suggested Questions 1. Prepare to describe in class the competition in the overnight package delivery industry, and the strategies by which those two firms are meeting the competition. What are the enabling and inhibiting factors facing the two firms as they pursue their goals? Do you think that either firm can attain a sustainable competitive advantage in this business? 在隔夜包裏配送產業，UPS提供較FedEx半價的折扣優惠，但有品質上的問題。再由於UPS重視經濟效益，因此投入的固定成本大，無法快速適應市場需求，造成UPS在1981年才進入隔夜配送產業，然而若無法有效運用資產，UPS閒置產能會較FedEx很多，使得成本上升。反觀FedEx早在1973年則開始推行隔夜配送服務，然而FedEx財務狀況不佳，即使具有創新，與發現新事業的能力，但續航力不足，使得容易被追随的競爭對手迎頭趕上。因此我們認為UPS在品質控管上正努力在改善，且從ROA可判斷，其能夠有效運用資產，待規模經濟發生，即可造成顯著的成長，固較能維持長久的競爭優勢。 2. Why did FedEx’s stock price outstrip UPS’s during the initiation of talks over liberalized air cargo routes between the U.S. and China? Assuming a perfectly efficient stock market, how might one interpret a 14% increase in FedEx’s market value of equity? 由於FedEx在中國已經布局已久，所以當此條約一開始談判，FedEx是有能力馬上對中國的市場開始運作，反之UPS儘管挾有較好的財務結構，但對於中國的市場還停留在建置的階段，因此FedEx的漲幅會高達14%之多。在強式效率市場的假說下，公開市場的股票價格會立即反應所有的消息，因此這樣利多一但釋出，無論是FedEx或UPS的股票均會馬上回應這個消息。 3. How have FedEx and UPS performed since the early 1990s? Which firm is doing better? In class, prepare to discuss the insights you derived from the two firms’ financial statements, financial ratios, stock-price performance, and economic profit (economic value added or EVA). Also, prepare to describe how EVA is estimated, and its strengths and weaknesses as...
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...many Christian and pagan values throughout his life. At the beginning of his life, Beowulf is called to defeat a monster named Grendel in foreign lands. Being the pagan warrior he was, Beowulf stepped up to the challenge and declared to fight Grendel alone and without armor or weapons. After this, Beowulf begins to realize that if he acts out the pagan values as he did before, then he will end up being overconfident and less successful in his future. In result, Beowulf starts to show more and more Christian values in his next phase of life. For example, in his next fight, he realizes that his prior preparation for the fight against Grendel wasn’t affective, so he prays and shows humbleness by wearing armor and using a sword. In the final phase of his life, he finds a middle ground between Christian and pagan values, and applies it to his last battle. In Beowulf’s first fight, he is called to seize the invasions of Grendel. Beowulf steps up to the challenge, and shows up on the beach of the foreign lands, and is over confident in himself before he even hears about what he is getting into. When he is finished with the briefing of the mission at hand, Beowulf is confronted by a man named Unferth. Unferth challenges Beowulf’s worthiness of heroism. Beowulf shows strong pagan values, and challenges him back because he knows he is worthy of such a pagan characteristic. When the fight with Grendel comes about, Beowulf sticks to his word and goes to battle with no armor or weapon...
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...Christian Hampton Julie Mell Medieval History Section 5 19 March 2015 Trial by Battle In the early 12th century the practice of settling disputes, arguments, and legal trials through means of battle is not only customary but considered divine in its own right. The Christian’s support of this form of justice is not only used to settle the trial of Ganelon, but also fuels the passion of Christian’s against the Muslim army. The belief that God will lead the righteous to victory mirrors the “superstitious” mentality of feudal judicial practices, in “Song of Roland” this is shown on a much larger scale. Trial by battle began as a practice that settled feuds or disagreements between individuals, the crusades incorporated this feudal practice into the frame of international conquest. Emphasis on more admirable values also meshed into the “crusading mentality”, one value in particular, the importance of personal loyalty to one’s lord, is what causes kings and peasants alike to have an undying loyalty to their God. Loyalty to God is demonstrated by Charlemagne, characterized through the epic as a divine king who receives visions, in the form of dreams, from God and is guarded by the angel St. Gabriel. What’s interesting is the symbolism of Charlemagne’s and his most faithful knight Roland’s, swords. The swords draw a connection between feudal duty and service and religion. Roland’s Durendal has relics from various saints and the Virgin Mary, Charlemagne’s Joyeuse holds the...
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...Beowulf: A Historical Masterpiece Written in approximately 750 A.D., Beowulf is the only remaining transcript of the 10th century. Even before it was written though, it had been circulated though it’s original oral narrative. Many of the events and characters tie to battles and actual figures in history that pre-date the Anglo-Saxon invasion in 450 A.D. Though originally pagan in nature, due to the Anglo-Saxon conversion to Christianity Beowulf was told through a Christian poet. The poet does reference to biblical thoughts and ideas, it’s mixed within the basic Anglo-Saxon principle. Which is pretty impressive. The fact that one can use Beowulf as a way to look at and understand the Anglo-Saxon culture, which may have been lost without it, is an historical feet all on its own. The values shown in the characters in Beowulf are the same values the Anglo-Saxon had. When it came to the values of the warrior class, it’s especially similar. Beowulf is in a sense the quintessential Anglo-Saxon warrior. Warriors at that time were first and foremost loyal to his people and his thane. A warrior was also brave and valorous. Without these what kind of warrior would one be? The warrior had to be courageous to go out to battle without certainty of coming home. Along with courage, a warrior also had to be proud. Not too proud as to offend the thane or his lady, just enough to make him seem worthwhile. Strength was a very sought after trait in a warrior. Strength was so highly viewed in the...
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...Christianity in Beowulf Although there are constant battles between religions about which religions’ values and practices are correct, one thing is clear in all religions: the contrast between good and evil. Take for instance the Christian faith: in the Christian faith, a good man is someone who is virtuous, and has passion for what they believe in, and follows the bible but an evil person is someone molded by corruptions, including sins and vices. The Christian faith depicts evil through monsters such as demons and serpents, and their impacts in their tales. In the poem Beowulf, Beowulf’s fight against the monsters represents a fight between the Christian concepts of good and evil. The first depiction of good and evil in the poem can be seen in the battle between Beowulf and Grendel. Often times, biblical allusions are used as a means to describe characters Grendel, Grendel’s mother, and the dragon. This is illustrated in Andy Orchard’s criticism of the poem, when he states, “As for Beowulf, there seems no getting rid of the poet’s clear references to the biblical tales of Cain and Abel” (Orchard 131). Grendel’s depiction of a demon is derived from these tales in the text when it reads: Grendel, who haunted the moors, the wild marshes, and made his home in a hell Not hell but earth, He was spawned in that slime, conceived by a pair of those monsters born of Cain, murderous creatures banished By God, punished forever for the crime of Abel's Death (14-17). In this...
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...After his success of the war Jackson was offered a teaching position at the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) as a Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy and instructor of artillery. Though fulfilling his mission, he wasn’t a very fond teacher for his bland personality and memorized lectures didn’t quite go hand-in-hand. After being an instructor at VMI, it was time for the American Civil War, a time where Thomas Jackson proved his leadership, intelligence, and army values. He served as a Confederate General under Robert E. Lee. His success was achieved in many famous and infamous battles- First and Second Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville to name a few. Thomas Jonathan Jackson eventually ended his days after the latter Battle of Chancellorsville. He was shot by one of his own confederate soldiers in the arm resulting in amputation, and eventually developing pneumonia killing him eight days later on May 10th, 1863. This was a huge loss to not only the Confederate Army, but the entire south, as many theorists say that if Thomas Jackson didn’t pass the tides would have been completely different and the history of this country could have been completely...
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...Analysis: The Gettysburg Address One of the greatest and memorable battles in the American Civil War in the 1860s is called The Battle of Gettysburg. Over 8000 soldiers died and were buried in temporary graves without any dignity. That’s why they were reburied at the Gettysburg National Cemetery in July 1863. Edward Everett the main orator, orated for 2 hours at the dedication of the cemetery and reflected all of the details of the battle, whereas President Abraham Lincoln held a very short speech within 2 minutes, which today is the most memorable speech in the world. Its structure and message is so striking and timeless that even students at high schools have to learn it by heart. He starts his speech at the very first beginning, namely when the United States were found in 1776 with the Declaration of Independence, which he even quotes saying “that all men are created equal”. This gives his speech a good basic and foundation to rely on and picks up the idea of a great, equal nation, that contradicts by having fought such a war. However that may be, by saying they were all created equal he honors the fallen soldiers, as they honored this value as well and died for it. So you might say the civil war was fought to secure the American values such as freedom and equality. After that he goes on with talking about the present. He perceives the civil war as being a test “whether that nation can long endure”. And for him it seems like we passed the test, as many soldiers gave up...
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...When to Apply Rational Choice Theory A widely used model to study human behavior, called Rational Choice Theory, helps to simplify social phenomena by assuming these properties: utility maximization, consistency, expected value, individuals as relevant agents, homogeneity, and equilibrium. Almost all social scientists, especially economists, use this model to predict human behavior, and sometimes their results may contradict the actual phenomenon; in other words, they were unaware that their experiments failed to meet one or more of the Rational Choice Theory assumptions. For example, in situations like enlisting in the military and eventually going to war, where individuals fail to maximize utility and contradicts the assumptions of the Rational Choice Theory, applying the theory would be nonsensical. However, when dealing with situations in which individuals behave rationally like sex workers in the prostitution industry, whereby all Rational Choice Theory assumptions are met, the theory explains phenomena exceptionally well. The example of soldiers going into battle clearly contradicts the assumptions necessary for the Rational Choice Theory to hold. By definition, a rational human being would choose the option that gives him the highest level of utility. In deciding to join the military and fight in war, the costs of making this decision heavily outweighs the benefits. Comparatively, this problem resembles the “Voter’s Paradox” in which Anthony Downs explained using a...
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...to be admired and emulated. For this reason, the hero always demonstrates the embodiment of the ideals of the creating culture. Historical events and social conditions of different cultures cause different attributes to become valued in leaders. These cultural values are reflected in both the actions of a hero and in the heroic motivations. This paper focuses on the heroes of the Iliad, the Aeneid, Beowulf, and The Song of Roland and examines how historical events and cultural circumstances shaped the portrayal of the heroes in these works. Sabiduria, vol.1,1 Hero as a Reflection of Culture 1 Every culture has heroes. In works of literature, is an individual to be admired and emulated, and because of this he is the embodiment of the greatest virtues of the culture that created him. The ideals of every culture were shaped by the social conditions of the time and therefore different attributes became valued. To different degrees, the hero in a work is a result of not only the culture from which the hero comes, but also the culture of the author. Cultural values are reflected in both the actions of a hero and his motivations. As heroes, Achilles, Aeneas, Beowulf, and Roland reflect the values of the societies that created them. One of the oldest works of ancient literature is Homer‟s Iliad. Homer‟s works are dated to between 900 and 750 B.C. (Krieger, Jantzen and Neill 106). Although the events of the Iliad take place during the Greek Bronze Age, the culture...
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...University of Phoenix Material Critical Analysis Worksheet Read “Common Core” and “The Battle Against Common Core Standards.” Perform a critical analysis of each reading using critical thinking techniques from this week’s readings. Respond to the following based on your critical thinking analysis of the “Common Core” and “The Battle Against Common Core Standards” readings. 1) Define the term conclusion. The term conclusion is the final reasoned deduction. It also can mean the ending of the paper or book that sums up everything that has been discussed. | | 2) What is the conclusion of each article? The Common Core conclusion is that a student will be able to learn the essential thing that they will need to be successful in not only college but in business as well all before they graduate high school.The conclusion for “The Battle Against Common Core Standards” is that putting these type of standards into place will not be the best for the students. | | | | 3) Define the term premises. The term premise means the basis of support for the conclusion. | ...
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...and the 16th Vermont Infantry were under heavy fire at the Battle of Gettysburg. He was a farmer in Norwich, VT who enlisted to the Union Army in 1862. Gettysburg was one of the bloodiest battles in the war, but he survived so he was able to raise a family. Daniel Currier was born on March 29, 1819 to Abel and Sarah Currier in Bradford, VT (VT Civil War, Individual Record, Currier, Daniel Q.). His father was a blacksmith (US Census Bureau, 1850). Daniel had dark eyes, light hair, and a light complexion ( 16th VT Co. descriptive book). According to the 1860 census, when Daniel was forty-two years old, he was a farmer in Norwich, VT and married to Lurena Waterman Currier, who was thirty-seven. He married Lurena on March 21, 1860. The value of his land was one thousand dollars, and the value of his personal estate was three hundred dollars. The population of Norwich at the time was approximately 1,759. Lots of economic development was happening. Norwich University was there, and that was where many soldier were trained (Howard Coffin) Logging was most likely one of the popular industries because of the proximity to the Connecticut River. During this time very little money was in circulation. Most of the buying and selling was done by credit/debit or through trade or barter...
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...The battle of Chelsea Creek took place on May 27th and 28th in 1775. It was one of the very first battles of the American Revolutionary War, and was fought in the areas around the city of Boston. The battle concluded with the capture, and succeeding destruction, of the British naval vessel, HMS Diana. The Battles of Lexington and Concord, which happened only a month earlier, had brought thousands of Colonial soldiers to Boston and the surrounding areas from all over New England. The Boston Peninsula was blockaded, and the British forces within the city were under siege. British Governor General Thomas Gage, who was in command of all British military forces in the Boston area, had stored a large portion of the British forces’ naval supplies...
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...its results Porter’s Five Force Model SWOT Analysis PESTEL Kellogg’s •Kellogg Company is a multinational food manufacturing company headquartered in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States. •Kellogg started with only 44 employees in 1906. •Founder, W.K. Kellogg, had a strong commitment to nutrition, health and quality. •Kellogg's products are manufactured in 18 countries and marketed in more than 180 countries. Vision and mission Vision: To enrich and delight through foods and brand that matter. Mission: To drive sustainable growth through the power of our people and brands by better servicing the needs of our customers, consumers and communities. Operating Principles •Remain consumer centric •Executional excellence •Prioritize to win •Continuous efficiency improvement Values • Kellogg Company’s values, K Values™, shape their culture and guide the way they run their business. • In 2005, the company instituted the W.K. Kellogg Values Award, which is given annually to one individual and one team of employees who best exhibit the K Values in their work. History of Kellogg’s 1906 - John Harvey Kellogg and Will Keith Kellogg also known as W.K Kellogg founded the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company in Battle Creek, Michigan. 1914–The production of the Kellogg’s Corn Flakes expanded world wide. 1922–The Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flake Company changed there name to The Kellogg Company. History Continued 1938 – The company continued to expand and build plants...
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...Beowulf in Relation to Anglo-Saxton Beliefs and Values In the epic poem, Beowulf, there are many references of Anglo-Saxton beliefs and values and the effects they have on the characters and the outcome of the story. As the setting of the story takes place in Anglo-Saxton times, these beliefs and values were well represented and well valued by the many characters of the story, such as Beowulf, Hygelac, Hrothgar, and Wiglaf. The Anglo-Saxton values consisted of generosity, friendship, loyalty, and bravery. Anglo-Saxtons also desired their kings to be chivalrous, powerful, and daring. Most importantly, the epic reveals the values of Anglo-Saxton society in its chivalry code, as well as the code of knighthood. Beowulf demonstrates Anglo-Saxton values and beliefs by strengthening...
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...Kenneth Branaugh’s film version of William Shakespeare’s Henry V is based on the exploration of leadership. Although the film was difficult to follow at times, certain diction and actions of the characters made the film easier to follow. The diction and actions of King Henry V definitely showcased his abilities as a leader. Henry V focuses on leadership development by concentrating on succession, conflict and redemption. In the film, Henry V shows growth through stature and ability all while developing skills and credibility in the eyes of his followers. Because of this growth, Henry V comes to epitomize transformational leadership through his use of key qualities like vision and values, energy and a teachable point of view. It is through his use of vision and values, energy and a teachable point of view that his followers witness not only his growth as a leader, but also his attention to England’s well-being, unifying his realm and achieving organizational goals. When young King Henry V assumed the throne of his father, Henry IV, he was adamant on gaining the respect of the English people and the court. In order to gain this respect, Henry V had to live down his wild adolescent past in which he befriended drunkards and thieves and showed disrespect to the throne. As shown in the film, Henry V was willing to do whatever was necessary to disassociate himself with his adolescent past. If this meant rejecting his former drunkard and thieve friends, then Henry would do...
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