REPEAT OFFENDERS IN COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS Research Paper

REPEAT OFFENDERS IN COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS - Research Paper Example Community corrections have their pedigrees in community-based programming adopted by non-governmental organizations. Notably, community corrections are an assortment of numerous reprimands for nonaggressive wrongdoers. Community corrections were adopted three decades ago and have offered residential services in halfway accommodation. Community corrections were introduced for a number of aims, the key one being to instill discipline and hold the offender accountable for their felonious deeds. The other purposes of these corrections comprise protecting public safety and provision of restitution to communities by the felons through restitution programs. Nonetheless, the proportion of wrongdoers has augmented and there have been little changes in strategy on handling the offenders, since all the offenders come from different backgrounds and have different desires. The the system has unceasingly adopted the â€Å"one size fits all† tactic without considering their different circums tances. As a result, the community corrections system grapples to offer useful interventions for the huge number of people who pass through the system annually. It is because of this lack of follow up that the offenders find themselves repeating crimes and ending up in the community corrections again. Recidivism refers to an individual’s reversion into an unlawful deed after an intermediation or sanction for a previous offense. Recidivism is a critical concept in criminal justice that is assessed through criminal acts that lead to re-incarceration and return to prison or correction center for the first three years after discharge. For the past years, the proportion of repeat offenders into correction centers has shot up. The National Institute of Justice (2014) acknowledges that two thirds of the released prisoners indulge in crime activities that get them back to prison or other correction facilities after 3

What can literature, music, cinema, theatre or art bring to the study Essay

What can literature, music, cinema, theatre or art bring to the study of International Relations - Essay Example The field of International Relations (IR) is a body of knowledge that deals with political activities that are intertwined among various key state players. According to the research conducted by Polat (2012), through International Relations, individuals are able to comprehend the kind of relations that exist between various states. In this case, International Relations refers to the study of the interactions between the members of the field of International Relations, which are the nation states. International Relations can also be defined as the study that scrutinizes the relationships between countries and the responses displayed by these countries as a result of the interactions between the states. It would appear that no country can subsist on its own. In this case, it is imperative to appreciate the power relations between the nations in the International Relations. International Relations, according to Mandaville (2003), is a body of knowledge that highlights the factors that inspire the connection between the countries in the world. In simple terms, International Relations refers to an understanding of the interactions that are present between different countries in the International arena. This includes reviewing the flow of information from one country to another, the manner of responses by each party, and the outcomes that spring from the entire relations process. These implications vary from political, social and economic implications.

Organizational strategy of Samsung

Organizational strategy of Samsung In the current volatile business industry marketing plays a vital and significant role and it is a process or method to create, deliver, exchange and communicate with customers and clients. It is the mechanism that identifies the requirements, needs, expectations of a particular customer base and creates methods and offerings to satisfy that customer base. In the current situation the complete business is customer-centric and the marketing revolves around satisfying the customer at every possible opportunity. Whatever the company offer should be based on the needs of the customer, it may be a product or can be a service or it can be both. When an organization offers both service and product, it can be termed as solution that plays vital role in strategic marketing. Samsung electronics is one of the biggest players in the electronics industry world that was established in 1969 had spread its wings over 50 countries worldwide and has workforce of more than 66000 and ranks at 131st on the list of Global Fortune 500. This paper aims to evaluate the marketing strategy of Samsung Electronics in the global television industry using the available theories and concepts. Company Background Samsung one of the greatest brands available in the market aims to secure the world leadership in the industry and earn devastating competitive strength by synchronizing the development and manufacturing of product, design, marketing and sales. The organization is well known for its great accomplishment in the industry of semiconductors based on memory. Samsung maintains its high position in the industry continuously from 1992 maintaining its top rank and stretch its financial structure throughout the industry to maintain itself as a number one company in the industry of mobile phones, semiconductors, monitors, computer gadgets, televisions, TFT and LCD screens. It also achieved 4th place in the semiconductor industry and sixth place in the mobile gadget industry by selling huge volumes. Importance and the use of information in their marketing strategy It is the era of information age and the information plays a vital and unavoidable role in any field exceptionally in the marketing industry. There is a great need for the managers to incorporate loads of data, convert it into information, construct decisions on the information and then compose decisions to lead them to achieve greater success in the business For any business, information is also considered as significant resource required same like money, machinery and manpower. Information is must and crucial for the survival of the organization in the varying business industry. Previously before the computer age, it was difficult for the companies to gather, store, maintain, organise and distribute huge volumes of information and data. The growth of computer and information technology helped the managers and organizations to effectively handle the information available. Managers are able to get the current information at required time in an accurate manner. And another great advantage is that the information can be accessed by many people at the same time accurately, completely that is organized and storable. The information system is the method that makes sure the information is presented to the managers in the form they expect it and when they expect it helping them to support their effort by giving appropriate information for their decision-making. Computers or Information Technology can evidently help companies in processing information and data in a accurate and well presented manner that is timely, relevantly and completely. All kind business organizations now a days have some kind information maintenance system either it may for accounting or stock control or market monitoring. The supremacy technology changed the function of information in the business. The complete business world acknowledged the information aslifeblood. Papows (1998) accredited that the modern organization is dead without Information. Samsung as a strong business leader accepted the fact and had given priority to the process of information throughout the organization at every stage. To gain from its Managing information System and Information Technology, Samsung addressed information needs not only in its environment but also in their relationships with customers, suppliers, trade partners, Production systems, work processes, skills and labour requirement. These advancements of Samsung have created huge and complex processes and information systems, thereby creating a requirement to align them to have a universal overview of the complete information system setting it as a strategic tool. According to American Marketing Association (AMA), 2007 marketing can be defined as the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large. Marketing people of various organizations endeavour to get the perfect goods or services to the correct people at the perfect place at the accurate time at the right price, utilizing the proper promotion techniques. This explains how marketing managers organize the several factors that eventually decide marketing success. For this, organizations must have timely decision-making information. The significance of efficient marketing changes heavily in respect to the market in which a firm operates. It also depends on the important competences existing within the company. These competences will offer the current market information based on which decisions can be taken quickly. Corporate strategy depends deeply on the scrutiny of such information. Samsung aims to achieve the world leadership and accomplish great competitive strength. It is targeting to coordinate design and development of product, manufacturing, sales and marketing with effective information management. Samsungs marketing strategy related to their overall organisational strategy Slogan of Samsung Company says that Everyones invited explains its vast marketing strategy, with a huge range of products. As per the market researches, the main strengths of Samsung are identified as Strong global business network Huge credibility of Brand Name Innovative changes and inspiring new styles The awards it is continuously receiving Samsung has strong global present with its service and sales caters locating in 4 different countries. Samsung can utilize its strengths available as major threats to other organizations. Samsung can effortlessly improve its image the by the promotional Adds and quality products. Viewing ahead, Samsungs vision is to turn out to be a leading company of the digital convergence revolution. The next generation will be a time where the Internet, wireless communications, networked systems and contents will be united. Various forms of convergence technology that link conventional stand-alone appliances through networks will be developed. Samsung Electronics vision for the new decade is, Inspire the World, Create the Future. This new vision statement mirrors Samsung Electronics dedication to stimulating its communities by accelerating its three key strengths: New Technology, Innovative Products, and Creative Solutions. And to advance new value for Samsungs core networks such as Industry Partners and Employees. Through these efforts, Samsung hopes to contribute to a better world and a richer experience for all. (www.samsung.com, 2010) SAMSUNG Vision Statement Source: http://www.samsung.com/uk/aboutsamsung/corporateprofile/visionmission.html [accessed on 20/07/2010] The main aim of the strategy of any business organization is growth (Chandler, 1962; Penrose, 1959). Even for Samsung, this growth is the main competence. The diagram above explains its motto of creating future in its industry and wants to be a leader. So Samsungs vision is clear. Samsungs strategic methods can be classified in to organic growth and alliances based on strategic. Organic growth According to moneyterms.co.uk (2010) Organic growth is the growth that is achieved by the companys existing business by increasing output and enhance sales (Investopedia, 2009 Moneyterms, 2010). Organic growth lets a firm to extend market position over the long term and helps to accomplish growth much cheaper than merger and acquisitions and is well suitable growing organizations (Coyle, 2000). This suits well with Samsung present strategic position as it is one of the market leader and has all the measures to extend into other markets. Moreover, though Samsung has huge cash reserves, organic growth permits cash reserves to be focused on other important factors such as Research and Development. At last, the external environmental analysis shows growth in the television market and the complete industry. But only the organic growth is not sufficient for an organization. Even though it is stable that is not enough when entering in to a new market in a new country. When entering in to a new country a strong understanding of local market is necessary that can be achieved only through local strategic alliances. Strategic Alliances A COPAC Commissioned Study defines (2000) Strategic Alliance as a formal and mutually agreed partnership arrangement that links specific facets of two or more enterprises or organizations. It is a mutual arrangement and understanding that allows partners to accomplish goals mutually that they could not accomplish alone. Strategic alliances are normally seen as methods for generating strong and efficient mode for competing in a globalized business. Bleeke and Ernst (1992) explain this as a formal relationship between two or more parties to pursue a set of agreed upon goals while remaining independent organisations. From 2001, Samsung has undergone with 29 various alliances (Samsung.com, 2010). They also accredit that the alliances are the best possible ways to enter in to the new market. With the new alliances Samsung may not learn anything new as they are very strong in technology and innovation. Further Analysis of Current Strategies Porter (1980) argue there are three fundamental strategic options available for companies that are looking for achievement of competitive advantage; they are Cost Leadership, Differentiation and Focus. This is explained in Porters Generic Strategies (Porter, 1985) Samsung comes under the category of Cost Leadership strategy as it augments profits by dropping costs, while charging low prices in the industry. Cost Leadership can be considered as one of the core competencies of Samsung. Apart from the cost leadership, Differentiation strategy also appropriate to Samsung as the company in continuously involved in inventing the technologies. So, Samsungs strategy is a combination of both cost leadership and differentiation strategy. Bowmans Strategic Clock (1997) is the other method used regularly to evaluate strategic options. It sees at professed additional value by the customer in opposition to price. Based on this Samsungs strategy can be explained to be mostly Hybrid. This refers to a strategy which is low cost to the consumer but still differentiated. Samsungs new 3D and Interactive TV Samsung, an industry leader for flat-screen TVs, will begin promoting its 3DTVs on 21 March in the US, before rolling out the activity globally in April. Mintzberg et al (2005) stated the Competitive advantage of an organization is usually recognized as the managements capability to set the companys assets adjacent to some external context. This can be termed as (Porter, 2004) external environment for a specific company. This external environment sets the means of survival for any company (Johnson et al, 2008:54). So, it is vital for the companies to understand this environment. This paper will look at the macro environment of Samsung using PESTEL analysis, then the Industrial environment where it operates, and finally at Competitors mainly utilizing Porters five forces model (Porter, 2004:6). It is also important to analyse the external environment of the firm to understand the opportunities and threats to achieve a strategic competitiveness. This consists of a general environmental, market, five forces analysis and competitors analysis. SWOT analysis is a prospective forecasting technique that helps to evaluate the match between opportunities and capabilities of the firm in the competitive environment. External environment The macro and industry environments will now be looked at to assess the strategic position of Samsung. Social Factors Current generation of people have strong passion and obsession for new innovative technology. Electronics industry plays a vital role in fulfilling this obsession. Children watching late night programs and getting addition to TV programs that reduces their interest towards games and studies is an important social factor. Technological Factors The electronics industry has been considered as one of the largely growing (Sixto, 2003) with low product life cycles (Mathews, 2005) that have show the way to global revenues. A 3D TV set is a special viewing TV device that utilizes 3D techniques of appearance that projects a TV program into a realistic three-dimensional field. The technology is brand new to TV industry that further reduces people going to Cinemas. Samsung is leading the industry with another milestone of new innovative Technology. Political Factors Political factors have an enormous control on the regulation of businesses that comprises of regulations forced by the government under which businesses should operate. As per the research the political environment in United Kingdom is said to pretty stable. Polices structured by the new conservative government like taxation, Cutting the Public spending and decision to raise petrol prices will have tough impact on the buying power of individuals. Additionally, the industrial policies of Korea also plays very important role for assisting international competitiveness to transfer technology in swap for market access (Kim, 1997). Economic Factors The economic factors plays very critical and significant role in marketing the 3D TV. The recession or down turn of economy reduced the spending power of individual. U.K economy is endangered by the financial downturn. As the unemployment rate increases customers passion for new technology may be sidelined. Sales has been continuously depreciating and the exchange rate is all time low that will increase the importing prices. Environmental Factors Consumers are having more awareness towards environmental and expecting increased energy efficiency, minor or no emission of dangerous radiation (Tarr, 2009; EE Times-Asia, 2009). Legal Factors Intellectual property is becoming a critical and important in the industry. There are huge chances conflicts can happen like the resent famous Apples conflict with Googles Nexus One regarding a patent issue. Samsung itself won a dispute recently in opposition to sharp regarding a patents issue that was initiated in the year 2007(Wall Street Journal, 2009). Legislations about local employee rights, Taxation and Intellectual Property will advance influence on Samsungs strategic decisions. Swot analysis STRENGTHS Strong international experience. Strong global business network Huge credibility of Brand Name Innovative changes and inspiring new styles The awards it is continuously receiving OPPORTUNITIES New technology 2012 Olympics offers an plenty of opportunity to get more sales Offering more models with stylish and individuality. The consumer will have the real entertainment for the money. WEAKNESSES Perception of High Prices Customers disinterest Buyer sophistication and knowledge Substitute products or technologies Very less availability of 3D viewing content THREATS New existing competition Price volatility Economic recession or financial downturn Extremely huge competition for customers and resources 6 Five Forces Analysis This analysis discusses five competitive forces related to the new product of Samsung Industry Competitors: Sony, Panasonic and LG. All are bigger players in the industry The competition is very High Buyers Individuals and families with high passion for technology And reasons for buying is Young passion mind, affluent professionals, status maintainers *Threat of New Entrants *Threat not significant as already many established players in the market and required a significant initial network, resources and investment Suppliers Bargaining power is low Substitutes Wide verity of TV models including Plasma, LCDs and digital TVs. Electronics Gadgets like smart phones, gamers and computers are also affect the new 3D Force Strength Trend Comments Entry Low Changing New entries are less. Suppliers Low Changing Suppliers cant negotiate prices Buyers Medium Increasing Overall consumers have medium bargaining power but generally it should be a win-win situation. Substitutes High Not Changing There are huge substitutes available at the present time. Like smart phones, Plasma, LCDs and gamers Rivalry High Increasing The competition is very high with SONY, Panasonic and LG are planning to launch the 3D TVs Lower Threat of New Entrants Threat from new companies entering in to the business is low as huge requirement of capital and Samsung have huge research and marketing process along with the proven productive process. It also has the strong brand name and best product differentiation. Overall the threat is minor. Low Bargaining Power of Suppliers Many competitive suppliers are available in the industry. The suppliers of Samsung have low switching cost and product differentiation (Lee, 2006). Overall the bargaining power of suppliers is low. The price increasing of raw materials can be easily passed on to the consumers. So the overall bargaining power of suppliers is low. Medium Bargaining power of Customers Bargaining power of customers is medium as very little range of products available in the 3D TV marketing industry. High Threat of Substitute Products There are huge number of substitutes are available for this product like Plasma TVs, LCD TVs, Mobile gadgets like smart phones, gamers, computers and laptops. Competitive Rivalry within the Industry High Overall, rivalry is high with many diverse competitors. LG, the worlds No. 2 Television brand by revenue, has put a destructive sales target for 3D TVs, planning to construct a leadership position in an emerging market where rivalry is expected to heat up. In 2010, LG targeted to sell 400,000 3D Televisions and in the next year it aims more than 3.4 million, the South Korean company announced in a news conference on 15th Tuesday December, 2009(canada.com, 2010). Electronics giant Sony is also planning to launch and leverage its power in 3D TVs business. Sony said in a press conference that it is expecting 3D TVs to account for up to 50 per cent of its total TV sales by March 2013 (canada.com, 2010). Panasonic also launched its plans to roll out 3D TVs in 2010 (canada.com, 2010). Source: http://www.canada.com/competition+heating+2010/2342815/story.html Segmentation The new generation 3D TV is initially targeted at the high class and technology lovers. The initial price of the 3D TV is very high. The Marketing Mix Marketing mix is an essential notion in current marketing and rationally it is referred to as the set of convenient tools that the organization combines to create the response it wants in the target market, so it consists of everything the firm can do to influence the demand for its product (Kotler and Armstrong, 2004). Marketing is about projecting the correct product at the correct price in the accurate way to the accurate customers. This is how value is added. Getting a product in to the market involves balancing numerous significant ingredients, i.e. the 4Ps of the Marketing Mix: Product, Price, Promotion and Place. Product The Next generation 3D TV is new innovative product. In simpler terms, the product includes all features of innovation to provide true entertainment to its customers. The 3D televisions were voiced as the biggest innovation in the television history with combination of highest performance and stylish design. With the Samsung 3D TV the customer will have the prospect of enjoying TV programs in 3D sitting at home and viewing TV will never be the same as the audience will be able to enjoy and experience the feel of their favourite stars of sports, film and TV leap off their TV in to the living room right before them. Samsung is proposes a series of 3D-capable TVs, including the LED 7000/8000/9000 Series, LCD 750 Series and the Plasma 7000/8000 Series (www.samsung.com, 2010) Price Pricing is principally fixing a specific price for a product or service offered. In simple words, Kotler and Armstrong (2004) explain the perception of price to obtain the product. Fixing a price is not something simple. Normally in general law people argue that a small price will draw additional customers. The argument is not true. Because customers not only look for price alone. The customers expect a proper service and value for the money that he pays. They act in response to value so a lesser price does not essentially signify stretched sales if the product is not fulfilling the expectation of the customers (Lazer, 1971). The price for the 3D brands starts from  £1600 to  £2000. The price is not so competent. Placement Samsung unveiled its prestigious 3D TV brands globally in the major countries like US, UK, Australia and china. The product is launched in all the major stores like John Lewis, Currys etc. Promotion The promotion takes the form of a new Starter Kit that offers U.S. consumers the chance to enjoy 3D movies in their own living rooms, rather than having to head to nearest cinema to check out the eye-popping action. Samsung utilized the FIFA Football World Cup to publicize several value-added bundles along with its new 3D TV ranges. Fresh buyers were offered bundled 3D movies, home theatre systems and Blu-ray players. People who procure certain Samsung 3D TV models from dealers all over the country will have the chance to seize the Bonus 3D bundle. This includes Samsung 3D Blu-ray player and two sets of rechargeable 3D glasses. Apart from this Bonus 3D bundle, customers are also entitled to obtain a Bonus 3D TV starter kit that includes 3D Blu-ray Disc of DreamWorks Animation SKGs hit movie, Monsters vs. Aliens, and An additional two sets of battery powered 3D glasses. Source: http://3dtvsets.co.uk/samsung-electronics-starts-3d-tv-war/ (accessed on 25/07/10) Apart from these bundled promotional offers, Samsung has launched a strong advertisement campaign for its range of 3D TVs. The TV advertisement campaign is worth of  £8 Million that runs over 3 months. Apart from the TV advertisement, it has also launched  £7 million print media advertisements (www.marketingweek.co.uk, 2010) Target Market Samsung should aim both the high-end market segment as well as low-end market segment because in both areas there are opportunities. The international brands like Sony, Panasonic, LG, Philips and Sharp have more than 75 percentage share of the high-end market segment globally. Samsung being an international brand, it can easily step in both the high-end and low-end marketing segment because of its overall knowledge and ability to invest in the market. Market research firm Generator Research(2010) forecasts a major update of the novel 3D TV technology globally, showing that by the year of 2014 the business share for 3D sets is predicted to reach over 39% and the market will value more than $117billion (Samsung.com, 2010). In reference to another market research organization, DisplaySearch (2010), the 3D TV market is predicted to increase from the year 2008s value of $ 902 million to $ 22 billion in 2018. particularly, the 3D TV business is predicted to grow to $ 17-billion, and the number of units expected to sale will increase to 64 million in the year of 2018 from 200,000 units in 2009 (Samsung.com, 2010). Globally, in the year of 2010, it is expected that there will be approximately 4.2 million 3D TVs will be sold as all the major players like Samsung, SONY, Panasonic, LG and sharp are entering in the business. The value is expected to triple to 12.9 million in the next year itself according to a new market research. Above said figures looks like huge but the fact is that the above stated figures are just a fraction of the original LCD TV sale. On the other hand, it is expected that by 2012, 27.4 million 3DTelevisions will be sold globally and by the year of 2015 the value is expected to 78.1 million units. This shows an enormous composite annual growth of 80.2% between 2010 and 2015. The figures show that the 3D Televisions here for growth and may replace all the existing TVs in near future. Samsung, however, is ready to lead in this Age as it will use its strengths in semiconductor, telecommunications and consumer electronics technology to develop innovative multi-capable products and create powerful networks that will empower the user for anytime, anywhere communications and a higher quality of life. http://www.marketingpower.com/AboutAMA/Documents/American%20Marketing%20Association%20Releases%20New%20Definition%20for%20Marketing.pdf

Gifted Hands Essay -- essays research papers

Gifted Hands is an inspirational novel based around the life of Ben Carson, from his rugged upbringing in inner-city Detroit to his position as director of pediatric neurosurgery at John Hopkins Hospital at age 33. The novel foregrounds Carson’s struggle to defy all odds - aided by his iron will, tremendous faith, respect, meekness and an unconditional devotion to God. Carson displayed great determination and dedication from a young age. He thrived to be ahead of his studies and went the extra mile for the well-being of his education. After I started pulling ahead in school, the desire to be smarter grew stronger and stronger. Carson focused more on being the best he could be rather than being top of the class. The desire to be smarter is an admirable trait essential for an academically ...

Blood Promise Chapter Fourteen

The encounter with Denis left me even more confused than before. It was a shocking illustration of Mark's warning, an omen of what I too might become if I wasn't careful. I wasn't really the same as Denis, was I? I wasn't aimlessly seeking danger. I was seeking danger†¦ well, for a reason. I had to fulfill the promise I'd made to find Dimitri. Maybe it was suicidal and I was only deluding myself into thinking it was noble. Viktoria left me little opportunity to ruminate. Later that evening, as the family was settling down in the living room after way too much food, she glibly asked Olena, â€Å"Can I go over to Marina's? She's having a party before we go back to school.† Wow. It looked like Abe and the Alchemists weren't the only ones keeping secrets around here. I glanced between Olena and Viktoria's faces, curious as to how this would play out. Olena and Yeva were both knitting, but Yeva didn't look up. Viktoria had spoken in English. Olena's face turned thoughtful. â€Å"You have to leave early tomorrow to go back to school.† â€Å"I know. But I can sleep on the bus. Everyone else will be there tonight.† â€Å"? ®Everyone else' isn't a convincing argument,† scoffed Olena. â€Å"They'll all be tired tomorrow too,† replied Viktoria, grinning. â€Å"You'll miss your last night with Rose.† â€Å"I'll hang out with her after I get back.† â€Å"Great. And stay up even later.† â€Å"Not that late. I'll be back by two.† â€Å"Absolutely not. You'll be back by midnight.† Olena returned to her knitting. But that had been permission if I'd ever heard it. Viktoria looked at the clock. It was almost eight thirty. Her face told me she wasn't happy about the curfew, but she apparently decided to take what she could get. Karolina gave us an odd look as we left the room but remained silent. Sonya and Paul, engrossed in TV, barely noticed our departure. I had to find out what was going on. â€Å"Okay,† I said once we were heading upstairs, â€Å"what gives? I thought you weren't going to Marina's.† Viktoria grinned and beckoned me into her bedroom. I'd recently learned her bedroom used to be Dimitri's, and every time I was in here, I had to resist the urge to go bury myself in the bed, even though I knew the sheets had been washed countless times since those days. Somehow, I could imagine them smelling like Dimitri and feeling warm as though we were both lying there together. â€Å"I'm not.† Viktoria began rifling through her closet and pulled out a short, sleeveless red dress with lace around the straps. The fabric was stretchy -the kind that looked like it'd show everything. I was shocked when she began putting it on. It was pretty trashy. â€Å"Is this a joke?† Nope. Viktoria took off her shirt and jeans and pulled the dress on. She had no trouble with it, but it was every bit as clingy as it had appeared. She wasn't as filled out as I was on top, but in a dress like that, it didn't matter. â€Å"Okay,† I said, catching on at last. â€Å"What's his name?† â€Å"Rolan,† she said. â€Å"Oh, Rose. He's amazing. And this is the last night I'll get to see him before school.† I didn't know whether to feel happy for her or sad for Nikolai. This Rolan guy must have been the reason she couldn't give Nikolai the time of day. She was totally in love with someone else. Still, that dress†¦ â€Å"You must really like him,† I observed dryly. Her eyes widened. â€Å"Do you want to meet him?† â€Å"Er, well, I don't want to interfere with your date†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You won't. Just stop by and say hi, okay?† It felt pretty intrusive, yet at the same time†¦ well, I was kind of curious about a guy who could get her to leave the house in that kind of outfit, particularly when she started applying really heavy makeup: extra-dark eyeliner and bright red lipstick. So I agreed to meet Rolan, and we left the house as quietly as we could. Despite wearing a coat over her dress, Viktoria still didn't want to run into her mother. We headed downtown, following a few twists and turns until we ended up behind what looked like an ordinary warehouse in an abandoned part of town. All was quiet, but a tall, tough-looking dhampir stood by a door leading into the building, his arms crossed in front of him. Viktoria brought us to a halt nearby, saying we had to wait there. A minute later, a group of Moroi men of mixed ages wandered up, chatting and laughing. The dhampir gave them a once-over and then opened the door for them. Light and music spilled out until the door shut-and all went silent again. â€Å"So this is Baia's secret dhampir world,† I murmured. She didn't hear me because suddenly, her face lit up. â€Å"There he is!† She pointed to two approaching guys. Both were Moroi. Well, who knew? Viktoria's secret boyfriend wasn't a dhampir. I guessed that wasn't too shocking, really, though the way she'd dressed tonight still bothered me. She gave him a fierce hug and introduced us. His friend was named Sergey, and he smiled politely before hurrying inside where he was apparently meeting a girl too. I had to give Viktoria credit: Rolan was hot. His hair was dark auburn, soft and wavy. The green of his eyes reminded me-painfully-of Adrian's. And when he smiled at Viktoria, it was dazzling. The look on her face was exactly like Nikolai's whenever he was around her. Rolan took a hold of Viktoria's hands and brought them to his lips, kissing each one. Those green, green eyes gazed at hers, and he murmured something I couldn't hear. She blushed and replied in Russian. I didn't need any translation to know the content was sexy and flirty. Still smiling, he glanced over at me, and although she'd introduced us, it was like he was noticing me for the first time-and was interested. â€Å"You're new here, aren't you?† he asked. Viktoria wrapped her arms around him and rested her head on his chest. â€Å"Rose is visiting. She's a friend of the family.† â€Å"Ah,† he said. â€Å"Now I remember hearing about you. I had no idea such a fierce Strigoi killer would be so beautiful.† â€Å"It's part of the job description,† I said dryly. â€Å"Will you be returning to school with Viktoria?† he asked. â€Å"No. I'll be staying here a little longer.† I still had no clue, though, if â€Å"a little longer† was one hour or one year. â€Å"Hmm,† he said thoughtfully. He looked back down at Viktoria and pressed a kiss to her hair, running his fingers along her throat. His next words were to her. â€Å"I'm glad you were able to come here before you left. I don't know how I'll get by with you so far away.† She beamed. â€Å"There was no way I could leave without seeing you one more time†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She trailed off, too overcome with emotion, and as he leaned down, hand still on her throat, I thought for an awful moment that they were going to start making out then and there. Fortunately, the appearance of an approaching dhampir girl interrupted them. Viktoria broke from Rolan and embraced the other girl. They apparently hadn't seen each other in a while and chatted rapidly in Russian, ignoring Rolan and me. Free of her for a moment, he leaned toward me. â€Å"Once Viktoria has returned to school, you'll be all alone here. Maybe I could show you around then?† â€Å"Thanks, but I've already seen everything.† He kept that big smile on. â€Å"Of course. Well, then, perhaps we could simply get together and†¦ talk?† I couldn't believe it. This guy had had his hands all over Viktoria thirty seconds ago and was now trying to score plans with me the instant she left town. I was disgusted and had to restrain myself from doing something stupid. â€Å"Sorry, but I don't think I'll be around long enough.† I got the impression that women didn't refuse him very often. He frowned and started to protest, but Viktoria returned and wrapped herself around him again. He studied me for several more puzzled seconds and then shifted his attention to her, smiling and turning on the charm. She ate it all up, and while the two tried to include me in their conversation, it was clear they were totally absorbed in each other. Rolan might be interested in me, but for now, she was an easier target-and one that wouldn't be available much longer. I felt that disgust roil up in me again. The longer we stood out there, the more I realized what was going on. All the people going inside were Moroi guys or dhampir girls. And the girls were all dressed like Viktoria. This was a blood whore den. Suddenly, Baia's secret dhampir world held no appeal. I hated it. I wanted nothing more than to get out of here. No, wait. I wanted nothing more than to get out of here and drag Viktoria away, even kicking and screaming. Rolan was sleazy, no question, and I didn't want her anywhere near him. Yet it soon became clear they weren't going to stand out in the alley all night. They wanted to go inside and do God only knew what. â€Å"Viktoria,† I said, trying to be reasonable, â€Å"are you sure you don't want to come back home and hang out? I mean, I won't get to see you tomorrow.† She hesitated, then shook her head. â€Å"I won't get to see Rolan either. But I promise I'll come see you as soon as I get home later. We'll stay up all night. Mom won't care.† I didn't know what other protests to make. Rolan's impatience, now that I'd refused him, was starting to show. He wanted to go inside. I wondered what was there†¦ a dance floor? Bedrooms? I probably could have gone with them to see for myself, despite being underdressed-or, well, overdressed as far as amounts of clothing went. Yet I couldn't bring myself to do it. All my life, I'd been taught about blood whores and why their lifestyle was wrong. I didn't know if Viktoria was becoming one-and I hoped she wasn't-but there was no way I could set foot in there. It was a matter of principle. I watched them go with a heavy heart, wondering what I'd just let my friend walk into. Seeing her in that ultra-tight dress, plastered all over him, suddenly made me reevaluate everything. How much of this peaceful life in Baia was a sham? Was Viktoria-the girl who'd called me a sister really not the person I thought she was? Confused, I turned away to head back home-And almost walked into Abe. Again. â€Å"What the hell?† I exclaimed. He wore a tuxedo tonight, complete with tails and a silvery silk scarf. â€Å"Are you stalking me?† Stupid question. Of course he was. I hoped his formal wear meant he wouldn't be dragging me off this evening. His guardians were equally well dressed. Idly, I wondered if a place like this had something to do with his illegal business dealings. Was he trafficking blood whores? Like some kind of pimp? Unlikely, seeing as most of these girls didn't require much urging. Abe gave me that annoying knowing smile of his. â€Å"I see your friend is off to an interesting night. I had no idea Viktoria had such lovely legs. Now everyone knows, thanks to that dress.† I clenched my fists and leaned toward him. â€Å"Don't you dare talk about her like that, old man.† â€Å"I'm not saying anything that isn't obvious to everybody else. It'll certainly be obvious to young Rolan soon.† â€Å"You don't know anything about them!† Yet I didn't believe my own words, not after seeing them walk off together. Abe, I could tell, knew what I was thinking. â€Å"These girls all say it won't happen to them. But it always does. It's what'll happen to you if you stay.† â€Å"Oh, here we are,† I said mockingly. â€Å"I knew a threat had to be coming. The part where you order me again to leave the country or else bad, bad things will happen.† He gestured toward the door, where more Moroi and dhampirs were going. â€Å"I don't even need to make anything bad happen. You'll do it on your own by staying here. You'll waste your life away, running errands for Olena Belikova. Potlucks will become the most exciting thing in your world.† â€Å"They're good people,† I growled. â€Å"Don't mock them.† â€Å"Oh, I'm not denying that.† He straightened his silk scarf. â€Å"They are good people. But they aren't your people. This is a fantasy. You're deluding yourself.† He was all sternness now. â€Å"Your grief has sent you here. Your man was ripped away from you, and you've ripped yourself away from your old friends. You're trying to make up for it by convincing yourself that this is your family, that this is your home. They're not. This isn't.† â€Å"I could make this my home.† I still wasn't sure of that, but my stubborn nature made me want to contradict him. â€Å"You aren't meant for Baia,† he said, dark eyes blazing. â€Å"You're meant for better things. You need to go back home, back to your school and the Dragomir princess.† â€Å"How the hell do you know about her? Who are you? When are you going to tell me who you work for? What do you want with me?† I had a feeling I was on the verge of hysterics. Hearing him refer to Lissa snapped something inside of me. â€Å"I'm merely an observer who can tell you're wasting your time here. This is no life for you, Rose. Your life is back in the States. They say you were on track to be a great guardian. Do you know what an honor it is to be assigned to the last Dragomir? You could spend your life in elite, powerful circles. The reputation you've already gained will raise you in status and regard. You have a stunning career ahead of you, and it's not too late to go back to it. Not yet.† â€Å"Who are you to talk about how I should live my life? I've heard that your hands are bloody-Zmey. You're not exactly a good role model. What is it you're involved in, anyway?† â€Å"My own affairs. And it's exactly because of the life I lead that you should listen to me when I say abandon this path and go back home.† His words were urgent and authoritative, and I couldn't believe he had the audacity to talk to me like that. â€Å"That's not my life anymore,† I said icily. He gave a harsh laugh and gestured around us once more. â€Å"What, and this is? You want to go off and be a blood whore like your friend in there?† â€Å"Don't call her that!† I shouted. â€Å"I don't care if you've got bodyguards or not. I will hurt you, old man, if you say anything else about Viktoria.† He didn't flinch at my explosion. â€Å"That was harsh, I admit. She's not a blood whore. Not yet. But she's one step away from it. As I said, it always happens in the end. Even if you aren't used by someone like Rolan Kislyak-and believe me, he will use her, just like he did her sister-you'll still end up alone with a baby you're way too young for.† â€Å"Her†¦ wait.† I froze. â€Å"Are you saying he's the guy who got Sonya pregnant? Why would Viktoria be involved with him after he did that and left her sister?† â€Å"Because she doesn't know. Sonya doesn't talk about it, and Mr. Kislyak thinks it's a game, getting two sisters into bed. Too bad for him that Karolina's smarter than the others or he could have had them all. Who knows?† He gave me a sardonic smile. â€Å"Maybe he'll consider you part of the family enough to go after you next.† â€Å"Like hell. I'd never get involved with anyone like that. I'm never going to be involved with anyone again. Not after Dimitri.† Abe's sternness gave way to momentary amusement. â€Å"Oh, Rose. You are young. You've barely lived. Everyone thinks their first love is the only one they'll ever have.† This guy was really pissing me off, but I gained enough control to decide I wasn't going to punch him. At least, I didn't think so. I backed up a little, toward the building. â€Å"I'm not going to play your game here. And you can tell whoever you're working for that I'm not playing theirs either and that I'm not going back.† One way or another, whether it was to hunt Dimitri or live with his family, I was staying in Russia. â€Å"You're going to have to box me up and ship me there.† Not that I wanted to give Abe any ideas. I suspected he could do it if he wanted. Damn it. Who was behind this? Who would want to find me badly enough to send this guy after me? Weirder still, whoever it was was someone who cared enough about me to attempt reason. If Abe had actually wanted to abduct me, he already would have. He could have done it the night he brought me to Baia. All he would have had to do was keep driving to the nearest airport. I eventually needed to figure this out, but first I needed to get away from Abe. I backed up further. â€Å"I'm leaving, and you can't stop me. And don't spy on me anymore. This ends now.† Abe studied me for several seconds, his dark eyes narrowed thoughtfully. I could practically see the wheels of plots and world domination spinning in his head. At last he said, so quietly I could hardly hear him, â€Å"It won't end with them, though.† â€Å"Who?† He pointed at the door. â€Å"Viktoria and Rolan.† â€Å"What are you getting at?† â€Å"You know what I'm getting at. She thinks she's in love with him. He knows she'll be back in school tomorrow. Tonight's his last chance with her, and he won't waste it. There are lots of bedrooms in there. They're probably in one right now.† I tried to control my breathing. â€Å"Then I'll go tell her mother.† â€Å"It'll be too late. She'd never find them in time, and tomorrow, Viktoria will be on her way to school-and he'll have no interest anymore. What can her mother do after the fact? Ground her?† I was getting angry, largely because I had a feeling he was right. â€Å"Fine. Then I'll drag her off myself.† â€Å"That'll never happen. She wants to do this. She won't leave with you. Even if she did, she'd just find him again.† I eyed him. â€Å"Enough. You're obviously hinting at something, so just get on with it.† He smiled, apparently pleased at my astuteness-or maybe my bluntness. â€Å"If you want to save her, you've got to go through him. Through Rolan.† I scoffed. â€Å"Not likely. The only way he'd leave her alone is if I offered to take her place.† And hey, friendship only went so far. â€Å"Not if I talk to him.† â€Å"What are you going to do, give him a talk on morality and sway him with reason?† â€Å"Oh, I'll sway him, all right. But believe me, I won't do it with reason-well, at least not the kind you're thinking of. If I tell him to leave her alone, he'll leave her alone. For good.† I stepped backward without realizing it and hit the wall. Abe looked scary as hell. Zmey. I didn't doubt his words at all. He could get Rolan to leave Viktoria alone. In fact, he probably wouldn't even use his dhampirs. Abe could deliver enough terror-and probably a good punch-to make it happen. â€Å"Why would you do that for me?† I asked. â€Å"As a sign of good faith. Promise to leave Baia, and I'll deal with him.† His eyes gleamed. Both of us could feel the net closing around me. â€Å"That's your tactic now? You're offering me a trade? My leaving isn't really worth you scaring some Moroi asshole.† The net grew tighter. â€Å"Isn't it, Rose?† Frantically, I thought about what to do. Some part of me thought Viktoria was free to make her own choices, to love whom she wanted†¦ but I knew for a fact that Rolan didn't love her. She was a conquest for him, as shown by his willingness to go after me-and Sonya, apparently. What would happen to Viktoria? Would she become like the rest of the women here? Would she be the next Belikov to have a baby? Even if she had no intentions of becoming a guardian, this wasn't the right path for her. Karolina had declined to join the guardians and now lived a respectable life with her kids and a job that-if not exciting-was steady and allowed her to keep her dignity. I couldn't let Viktoria turn down a road that could ruin the rest of her life. I couldn't let that happen to Dimitri's sister. Dimitri†¦ I knew him. I knew his protective nature. He would never let anything happen to those he cared about. I hated the thought of that blood whore den, but I still would have run in to get her-because that was what Dimitri would have done. But I didn't know if I'd find her there in time. I knew, however, that Abe could-and that he could keep Rolan away forever. And so, I spoke without fully understanding the consequences of my words. â€Å"I'll leave Baia.†

Let’s analyze the gaming console industry Essay

We can define two types of supplier: the hardware supplier and the software supplier. The hardware suppliers providing the elements needed to build the consoles have a low bargaining power because there have very low switching costs and there are a lot of them. On the other hand, the software suppliers (developers) have a high bargaining power because they choose and set the conditions to work with each console. Entry Barriers Entry barriers are high because of high R&D costs and the high capital investment needed to start a business in the console industry. Internal Rivalry There is high internal rivalry among competitors because the core player market is growing slowly, competitors have high exit barriers and the products developed turn obsoletes in less than 5 years due to the fast progress of technology. The players in the industry are: Sony, XBOX and Nintendo. Buyer Power The bargaining power of buyers is high because there are many options with very low switching costs. Substitutes Low substitute power because they are not very similar (like TV or other entertainment device) and don’t fulfill the same exact purpose. Sony has few competitors due to high barriers-to-entry and startup costs but buyers and suppliers (game developers) have high bargaining power and low switching costs. Sony should target a new market as Nintendo did. We could call this market the casual players market. In order to get in this new segment, Sony will have to develop a more interactive way of using their console without dropping the numerous features to avoid losing their core player market share. The key of success for Sony is to adapt a new technology such as Nintendo did with Wii that will enable the company to target a broader market and not only the males from 16-36 years old. The advantage of entering those two markets with one console is that Sony will enter a bigger market with bigger returns and consequently bigger economies of scales. Also, entering the casual player market is important for the company to avoid falling behind its competitors in both markets since this new segment will enhance the brand exposure and recognition. The risk associated to this option is to turn this high performing console in a low performing console (as Nintendo did) and lose the core players customers that are very important to Sony financial stability and growth. A big challenge for this new console will be to cut costs in order to make it more accessible to customers, since the casual players market will definitely be â€Å"guided† by price. Vis-a-vis the Five Forces, if Sony were to pursue this option, the company will be competing in the core player market and on the casual player market. On the casual player market the substitutes will have more power. Sony will compete with other activities such as watching TV, watching a movie and others living room activities. The main â€Å"purpose† of this market is entertainment in general while the core player market is about playing video games. Update: Sony and Microsoft had already implemented advanced interactive technologies. Nowadays, Microsoft has the most advanced software and hardware that don’t need controllers anymore, just your body.