Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Essay Example for Free

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God Essay Whether or not there is a doomed afterlife in which is called â€Å"hell†, everybody has their own perception of what their â€Å"hell† would be like. Rather your view of hell is eternal detonation or a place consisting of deathly flames and Satan’s head down in a bucket of ice, most people do not wish to be summoned into the depths of hell. However; Jonathon Edward’s sermon, â€Å"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,† portrays briefly the vivid imagery of how hell was represented during the Second Great Awakening. In addition, Edwards aim was to teach his listeners about the horror of hell. Thus, Edwards’s dramatic interpretation of hell frightened the people who followed by God’s word and urges those who don’t to call upon Christ to receive forgiveness. Jonathon Edward’s briefly described hell in his sermon. His justification regarding hell was a â€Å"lake of burning brimstone,† (Edwards 98). Edward’s Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, emphasized the belief that hell is real and he did not tolerate the voices of opposing opinions, urging that they had a â€Å"black cloud of God’s wrath now hanging directly over your heads†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Edwards 98). Edwards anticipated that the imagery and the message contained in his sermon would instill the reality of being doomed into hell if they did not take the step into following Christ. Therefore, the preaching’s made by Edwards were not sympathetic toward the nonbelievers, and infused the believers with terror of being summoned to hell. There is nothing that keeps wicked men at any one moment out of Hell, but the mere pleasure of God (Edward 100). Edward’s words represented God’s power in being able to cast wicked people in hell at any moment. The people sitting in the pews of the Church were most likely coped with fear as a result of Edward’s harsh speech. He further warns the people of the only thing keeping them from hell is the thin air which God creates as a barrier. According to Edward’s, God would have no pity for those people casted into hell since he provided humans with a chance to resolve their sins. Since the sermon of Edwards was conducted during the Second Great Awakening when people were regaining their religion, people would most likely be on edge from the words of Jonathon Edwards. In summation, the brief representation of hell from Edwards commended God’s lack of sympathy for those people who did not abide by God’s words and instilled fear in the hearts of people who attended Church. Accordingly, Edwards’s remarkable explanation of hell frightened the people who pursued in God’s word and recommend those who didn’t to follow Christ in order to receive forgiveness. Edwards, in addition assisted in teaching his community the horrors and lifelong detonation of hell. Therefore, in Jonathon Edward’s sermon, â€Å"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,† his brief but vivid descriptions of how hell was characterized gave the era of the Second Great Awakening great fear if they did not chose to obey by Christ. He wanted to preach to the people about the lasting effects not obeying by God had. Thus, Jonathon Edwards approached the people of his teachings with fear of hell and the representation he had of hell.

Free Companies :: Essays Papers

Free Companies In 1337 hostilities erupted between France and England that would continue, with brief times of peace, until 1453. This war, which lasted for over a century, would latter be known as The Hundred Years' War. One of the terms that originated during this war were bands of mercenaries formed in France called Free Companies. To understand Free Companies fully one must first look at the Hundred Years War for explanation. "The Hundred Years War was the last great medieval war." (http://www.cfcsc.dnd.ca/links/milhist/100.html) Not only was this war between kings, but lesser nobles too were fighting for their own interests, while they fought for their country. Looking back two centuries earlier can be seen as the true cause for this war. When Duke William of Normandy conquered England in 1066, he did so as a subject of the French King. The French speaking English Kings to follow gained more and more land from the English. But the English King still ruled two French provinces, Gascony and Guyenne. In the 14th century, the French king Philip VI demanded that the English return these provinces to the French. When Edward III denied Philip VI of this, saying that Philip's claim to the French thrown was not as strong as Edward's own right to rule both France and England, war broke out. Because the kings and nobles were not wealthy enough to maintain armies permanently, and the ancient system of raising troops through feudal obligation had, for the time being, fallen apart, the most effective armies were made up of mercenaries. The definition of mercenaries given by the Oxford American Dictionary is "professional soldiers serving a foreign country." These professional, paid troops became a popular practice through out Europe in the 14th century. Both Knights and commoners under arms were eager to take the money of anyone wishing to raise an army. The English were the first of these two countries to use this practice. Free Companies were formed by the English to fight in France.

Business Law & Ethics Essay

Consider the possible conflicts between legally doing business and selling fast-food, given the increasing evidence of how it is a significant contributing factor in public health, obesity, and diabetes facing many Americans. Now, based on what you’ve learned in this module, answer the following: A) After reading the Inside Story section of Chapter 1, do you agree with how Disney Company is handling the issue? Why or why not? B) Does government (federal, state, or local) have a right or a responsibility to get involved in this conflict? If so, what and to what limit? If not, why not? Provide sound reasoning for your stance and back it up with references, if possible. Your logic should be factual, not emotional. Then, reply to two or more of your classmates’ postings (three additional postings are needed for an â€Å"Exemplary† grade). See the Discussion Rubric for additional information and grading criteria. The case involved McDonald and Disney is about childhoo d obesity caused by many advertising that promote fast food in the United States. The McDonald Company leads the most successful advertising that drives children to obesity. Under the pressure of different sectors, Fast Food Company such as McDonald is required to reconsider the effect of its powerful advertising on a child’s health condition, specifically the issues of child obesity (Bagley & Savage, 2010). Disney is created for the children, then eating healthy should be a real concern regarding children to Disney. Disney and McDonald had signed a pact, and McDonald fast food is unhealthy for children. With the growing number of child obesity, eating fast food, especially McDonald, Disney had to take a stand in this case. I agree with how Disney is handling the issue because there were guidelines provided by Disney on how the children should eat the McDonald’s food. If McDonald kid’s meal did not meet the requirement guidelines provided by Disney, then, Disney has the right to end its contract with McDonald Company. The obesity problem may h ave short term effect such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure, and long term effect such as type 2 diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer, and osteoarthritis on those children, according to research. For example, the percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2012. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to nearly 21% over the same period. 1, 2, and in 2012, more than one third of children and  adolescents were overweight or obese. [†¦]. I believe government has both right and responsibility to get involved in this conflict because child obesity is not a small case. Because of eating unhealthy, children are risk of some types of disease, and the obesity rate is very high. Government has to regulate laws regarding children eating unhealthy food due to influential advertising promoted by fast food companies. Government needs to get involved in this conflict until there is a solution to lower calories volume provided by fast food restaurants even they do not directly tell anyone to eat their food. However, that is the reason they advertis e their food, so people can buy them’ it is a business marketing to attract customers.

Natraj And Vasu In The Maneater Of Malgudi - 744 Words

Natraj and Vasu are contrasted characters. Natraj, no doubt, is the central figure and the action of the novel is viewed through his eyes. It is his point of view that we always get. But he is an unheroic hero, good at heart, but passive and inactive like most of us. Vasu, on the other hand, represents evil that embodies satanic traits. He is an anti-hero, and Natraj is both attracted and repelled by him. The novel makes it clear that there is a love-hate relationship. It is evident that the story of The ManEater of Malgudi follows the familiar pattern of a tale from the puranas where a demon, the symbol of evil, gets too powerful, threatens the heaven with his elemental forces of disorder, but finally goes up in the air like a bubble,†¦show more content†¦The tragedy of Vasu does not cause any tears for the simple reason that the novelist has skillfully manipulated. The situation that preceded his death, so much so that even when the mischievous but delightful Vasu kills himself no one feels sad. On the contrary readers of the novel chuckle to find Vasu dead, and Natraj continues to be worried over trifles like and automation while following the dictates of his assistant in the office of the press. The printer assistant Sastri explains the mystery of Vasu’s death. Like this: He had to concentrate all that might for his own destruction. Every demon appears in this world, with a special boon of indestructibility. Yet the universe has survived all the rakshasas that were ever born. Every demon carries within him, unknown to himself, a tiny seed of self destruction and goes up in thin air at the most unexpected moment. Otherwise, what is to happen to humanity? (TMEM 62) Conclusion Narayan always created positive characters, who may at times do bad karmas, but are never wholly evil. His characters usually fall in fair or grey shade, but in the present novel, he has created a pure black persona. Vasu is absolutely devoid of emotions, a vicious man who does not think twice before killing someone. In fact, the title aptly suits the

The Pearson Hall Self Assessment Library - 1482 Words

Introduction The Pearson Hall Self-Assessment Library contains several assessment tests that an individual may complete to determine his or her personality type and provides insight regarding skills and abilities. The assessment tests were extremely detailed. I completed three of the four sections which included personality insights, working with others, and life in organizations. After completing the assessments, I learned additional information about my personality type, strengths and weaknesses, and areas that require improvement. I feel that I will be able to apply what I have learned successfully within the organization as well as my personal life. STEP 1 What About Me? The five-factor model of personality or Big Five has five dimensions which underlie human behavior. These dimension are extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability and openness to experience (Robbins Judge, 2008). My scores to the assessment are as follows: extroversion – 5, agreeableness -10, conscientiousness – 12, emotional stability – 5, openness to experience -11 (Robbins Judge, 2008). Two of my strengths are that I am dependable and conscientious. I received a moderate score on openness to experience. I am open to new experiences. I am imaginative, intellectual, and artistically sensitive. I enjoy writing and the performing arts. My score on agreeableness was moderate. The analysis and interpretation described a person who possessed agreeableness as being trusting,Show MoreRelatedMy Self Assessment Essay1289 Words   |  6 PagesAbstract When examining your own personal assessment I found some interesting views of myself by working through the Pearson Prentice Hall Self-Assessment Library. Some of the judgments resulting from the tests have surprised me, while other results confirmed what I already suspected. This assessment will examine and give some insight on who I am in the business world, how I work with others in the realm of business, and life within my organization. I will also explain how the Holy Spirit hasRead MoreA Positive Motivation Plan1199 Words   |  5 PagesA Positive Team Motivation Plan Patrick Hall, Joyce Woodbury, William Leonardi LDR 531 July 09, 2012 Eric Heard A Positive Team Motivation Plan In today’s business world, each business organization has a diverse workforce and each worker has specific motivations and emotions. An effective manager understands the challenges involved in creating a workplace that combines the employees’ motivations, satisfactions, and performance into a cohesive and effective workforce. A manager must developRead MoreOrganizational Behavior1284 Words   |  6 Pagesand videos. Resources Principal Reading 1. Robbins, S. P. and Judge, T.A. (2015). Organizational Behavior (16th Global Edition). New Jersey: Prentice Hall. ISBN #978-0-13-800040-0 Supplementary Reading 1. Frost, P.J., W.R. Nord, L.A. Krefting. (2004). Managerial and Organizational Reality. Upper Saddle River: Pearson (pp.244-249, 307-319). 2. Gibson, J,L., J.M. Ivancevich, J.H. Donnelly, R. Konopaske (2004). Organizations. (11th Ed). New York: McGraw Hill, pp.351-376. Read Morestarting with the basics1043 Words   |  5 Pagesthe six Other Math Content  resources available for study  in the Center for Mathematics Excellence? (Click on Library Center for Mathematics Excellence Running Start) - Self assessment , ALEKS Math refresher, Pre Algebra reviewer, Algebra 1, Algebra 2 introduction to statistics. .2 There are basic academic skills tutorials offered for which two subjects? (Hint: Click on Library Center for Writing Excellence or Center for Mathematics Excellence) Mathematics and Writing .3 The CenterRead MoreWhat I Learned About Myself By Prentice Hall Self- Assessment1675 Words   |  7 Pagesbusiness world more and more organizations are seeking ways to incorporate self-appraisal and personality assessments into their hiring decisions. Robbins and Judge’s chapter on personality and values highlights how tools such as the Myers-Briggs type indicator and the Big Five Personality Model are helping employers to determine if an employee’s personality will fit into their organizational culture (2009). Assessments on employee behavior supply employers with a broader perspective on how theRead MorePersonality Profile And Pearson Assessment Results Essay1505 Words   |  7 Pagespersonality profile and Pearson Assessment results real to one another and how they play major roles. Specifically discussing my values and motivations it the work place, how I work with others, and life in organizations. Everything we do is for the greater food for our purpose in life. In the final section of this paper, I describe how God has helped realize and me shape my weaknesses into strengths and keep my strengths at bay in key moments. â€Æ' Prentice Hall Self-Assessment Online Library Due to the natureRead MoreProject: Group Dynamics and Teamwork1644 Words   |  7 PagesEach project part requires you to work individually as well as in groups. Project Part Individual Task and Deliverable Group Task and Deliverable Part 1 (due Complete the self-assessment Choose the topic of research for Project Part 2 Deliverable: Individual answers to the Deliverable: None in Module 3) self-assessment tasks Create a team charter Deliverable: Team charter document Part 2 (due Research around the chosen theory Collaborate with your team to create a group in Module 5) Read MorePersonal Leadership Development Plan2021 Words   |  9 PagesPhoenix Abstract This leadership development plan (LDP) is tailored for its author and is not a research paper in the traditional sense. The author begins with his personal framework for leadership. Included are the results of several leadership assessment tools, information from coaching, and personal feedback, and insights into the author’s goals for career and leadership development. The report concludes with thoughts on future development, and evaluating the progress of personal development. Read MoreSecondary Research1650 Words   |  7 Pagesresearch†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4 1.4. Disadvantages of secondary research†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4 2.0 How primary research supplements secondary research†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 5 2.1 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. .5 2.2 Bibliography†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 2.3 Self assessment form†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...7 1.0 Introduction:- Market research is â€Å" The function that links the consumer, customer and public to the marketer through information-information used to identify and define marketing opportunities and problems;Read MoreHow Individual Behaviors Affect The Overall Health Of An Organization1314 Words   |  6 Pagesfailure, that were explored through the use of Prentice Hall’s Self-assessment Library (2008) and discuss the premise that individual behaviors affect the overall health of an organization. Additionally, my personal behaviors will be compared and contrasted in their prior form to how they are being changed under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In the end, one of the most important facets of completing and applying this self-assessment is its effect on how one values the individual worth of others

The Physics of Acoustic Guitar - 800 Words

The Physics of Acoustic Guitar Everything in the universe involves some type of physics. Even the universe itself does, but have you ever wondered about the physics of simpler items? Physics is vital for all musical instruments, if it wasn’t; they probably wouldn’t produce the beautiful sounds that they do. One of these instruments is acoustic guitar. By looking at the instrument, it doesn’t look very complicated, but if you delve deeper into its composition, you’ll find that it’s very complicated. Physics takes part in the making of acoustic guitars, all the way to how it produces its beautiful music. Before you can understand the physics of playing the guitar, you must first know the brief history of it. The guitars’ history can be†¦show more content†¦The strings can be made nylon or steel, nickel, and bronze. What particular kind of string one uses usually depends on the type of chords that are being played. When the strings are plucked and played, the air around them vibrates, hence creating a sound wave. The mass, length, and tension of the strings are what creates the frequency in which the guitar makes. The tuners at the head of the guitar can change the tension of the strings, this in turn, changes the frequency, which is the rate at which the vibration occurs. For example, if the strings are heavier they will vibrate slower and the pitch will be lower. The pitch will be higher if the tension of the strings is tighter. The frequency also depends on the length of the string that is free to vibrate. When playing, you can change this by holding the string firmly against the fret board with a finger (Wolfe). The strings themselves hardly make any noise when plucked. They disrupt very little air since they make less contact with the other air molecules. However, if the string is attached to a large object, more air is disturbed. In this case, the string forces the larger object to begin vibrating at the sam e frequency as the string. Now that a larger area is disturbed, this means that more air molecules are being vibrated. When all the molecules are vibrating at the certain frequency of the string, then the sound is produced. The frequency at which theseShow MoreRelated Physics of an Acoustic Guitar Essay1756 Words   |  8 PagesPhysics of an Acoustic Guitar I have been watching my husband play the guitar in a band for five years and he has made it look so easy to make such beautiful music. Most guitar players have progressed with the technology of electric guitars, but when my husband picks up an acoustic guitar and starts to play a song for just me, I hear his love for me in the sounds that he produces. Imagine my surprise when a physics class conveyed to me that there was much more to his playing than I hadRead MoreThe Bands And Music Groups That Are Popular Today1179 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction: Look at the bands and music groups that are popular today. They use many different instruments to create the songs they present to us. A common instrument they tend to use is the guitar. Whether it is acoustic or electric, the guitar can be used in various styles of music such as rock, pop, or country, presenting it’s ability to adapt and change the different forms, creating perfect harmonies. Although, it is a well known instrument around the world, people do not appreciate the timeRead MoreEssay on Acoustic Waves in Physics682 Words   |  3 PagesAcoustic Waves in Physics  An acoustic wave can simply be described as a longitudinal wave. A longitudinal wave is a wave that vibrates and moves in the direction of its propagation. This means the medium is either in the same or opposite direction of the way the wave travels. Acoustic waves are a form of Mechanical longitudinal waves; these waves are otherwise known as compression waves or compressional waves. Compressional waves obviously produce compression, decompression, and rarefactionRead More Physics of Guitars Essay2340 Words   |  10 Pagesappreciate guitars. Guitars are at the forefront of music as the centerpiece of most bands. Guitars are a highly versatile instrument capable of playing full 6 note chords, unlike most instruments. As much as music depends on guitars, guitars also depend on physics. Without understanding the properties sound, guitars wouldn’t be possible. Guitars use the principles of acoustics to produce the sound you hear. Acoustic guitars and electric guitars produce sound in two different ways. Acoustic guitarsRead MoreIs Beauty A Mathematical And Non Mathematical Context?1652 Words   |  7 Pageswaves are created from a vibrating object. This object could be the vocal chords of a person singing or a vibrating string of a guitar. Any object that can vibrate will create a sound, therefore creating sound waves. The sound could be musical or just noise. Most objects will vibrate when hit, struck, plucked, strummed or disturbed. For example when you pluck a guitar string, or drop a pencil, it will begin to vibrate. When these objects vibrate, they often vibrate at a certain frequency or a specificRead MoreThe Physics of Music Essay examples880 Words   |  4 PagesPhysical science is the study of non-living matter which I will be talking about the physics of music, and how pitch and frequency play a role together in science. Physics is known to be the most fundamental science, based on the principle and concepts. It deals with matter, motion, force, and energy, (Shipman-Wilson Higgins, 2013). In this report I will be dealing with pitch, frequency sound and waves which are also dealing with physical science and how they our related. Sound is (a) the physicalRead MoreThe Day My Grandfather Richard1590 Words   |  7 Pagesthe city for a college education. This allowed him to focus on studies while still being able to live out one of his dreams of being a cowboy on his own ranch. He graduated from Colorado State University with three bachelor degrees in engineering, physics, and mathematics. This lead him back into the class rooms where he tried to become a mathematics professor. Although is knowledge surpassed the requirements of being an excellent professor, this career was not meant for his life. He could not be trappedRead MoreMusic : My Perception Of Music3395 Words   |  14 Pagesloud as the sonic signal strength, a 0 dB SNR. Understanding is poor with a 5 dB SNR, OK with a 10 dB SNR, good with a 15 dB SNR and excellent with a 20 dB SNR. In order to appreciate how so much time, effort and money can be spent getting good acoustics in the auditorium, it helps to understand something about signals and noise. A good signal includes early reflections. Early reflections help people listen to and understand speech. Any reflection that arrives at the listener s ear within theRead MoreSound Waves1917 Words   |  8 PagesWild life sound waves Reflection, Refraction, and Diffraction Forced Vibration Standing Wave Patterns Bibliography http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/20/researchers-convert-soundwaves-into-electromagnetic-energy-sile/ http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/music/guitar/guitarintro.html http://www.physicsclassroom.com/mmedia/waves/gsl.cfm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doppler_effect http://www.mediacollege.com/audio/microphones/how-microphones-work.html Future Plan Project Day: Bring in speakers, instruments and differentRead MoreA Short Note On My Experience With Alzheimer s Disease2458 Words   |  10 Pagesyounger brothers, and El Pavo started hitting him instead of raping me. That, to me, is a hero. It is incredible how life works. You two kids are way too different, which means that you need different explanations. Ryan, my dear, you’re studying physics. Every crap that you’ve learned about gravity, free fall and all that paraphernalia that you keep talking about, is useless. There’s only one freaking thing you need to memorize in order to understand life: Newton’s Third Law—for every action, there

Strategic management Tesco free essay sample

The report below provides an insight into the supermarket company Tesco, with emphasis on the company’s internal analysis of resources, competence and competitive advantage, whilst also considering its external environment. Tesco are the chosen company for this report as they are the market leader within the supermarket industry, Tesco controls over 30 percent of the UK grocery market, a figure which is almost double the combined share of nearest rivals Asda and Sainsbury’s. This provides the report with an excellent basis for analysis of competitive advantage. The statistical evidence for the company’s performance over the last five years can be seen in the table and graphs, within in the appendix. Tesco Chairman Sir Richard Broadbent states that Tesco’s core competencies are that â€Å"it has outstanding operational effectiveness; it understands deeply what it means to orientate a business around the customer; it is passionate, and successful, about developing talent from within; and it manages a complex operating environment with great team work. † (TescoPlc, 2013). Tesco state that their core values and strategic objectives are meeting customer needs through innovation and change and treating colleagues with a culture of trust and respect (TescoPlc, 2013). When Tesco competes to gain a competitive advantage, it is not just the environment that distinguishes them from their competitors but their internal strategic capabilities (Oxtoby et. al, 2002). For Tesco to gain an advantage over its competitors, it must use its resources and capabilities that enable it to manage a superior performance compared with its competition (Bolivar-Ramos et.  al, 2012). It must have distinctive core competencies, which are the skills, and abilities by which resources are deployed through activities and processes that allow it to deliver the value to the customer (Grewal and Slotegraar, 2007). For these recourses to be used in order to gain a competitive advantage, Tesco must have unique strategies, which will allow it to use these resources in a way that its comp etitors find it difficult to imitate or obtain (Dai et. al, 2011). The profits earned from resources and capabilities depend not just on their ability to establish competitive advantage, but also on how long that advantage can be sustained (Civelli, 1998). Tesco’s main strategies for achieving their objectives are as follows. The Building a Better Tesco plan has been implemented through a comprehensive series of in-store improvements for the benefit of the customer. Adding a wider range of products and services in-store and online, bringing Tesco value and quality to many more categories. And Tesco is investing in the development of more leaders and a bigger, more diverse talent pool to support the growth of the operations functions. Michael Porters value chain analysis will be used to identify Tesco’s most valuable activities that allows them to achieve their strategic objectives, which enable them to gain a competitive advantage over they’re competition. It must be taken into consideration that although this model has its benefits, the popular version of Porters value chain has been criticised by Snyder and Ebeling (1992) among others for not considering the value concept in sufficient depth in order to be useful. The value network will be used to analyse Tesco’s ability to link the value chains activities more closely, which will allow them to coordinate their actions with customers and suppliers and enable them to deliver their strategic objectives. Michael Porter’s generic strategy will be used, as it will provide further depth of the concept of the value chain and the value network. It will be used as a framework in which by describing how the combination of cost leadership and differentiation, through a coherent delivery of activities from the value chain, can determine how capable Tesco are of achieving a competitive advantage (Wright et.  al, 1990). Criticisms of this concept are based on the fundamental that cost leadership and differentiation strategy will be mutually exclusive. In particular, Miller (1992) questions the notion of being caught in the middle. One of the primary activities of the value chain model and one of Tesco’s core competencies is marketing and sales. Evidence of this is through Tesco’s use of information technology as a key resource, with over 40 million customer’s worldwide using loyalty card’s such as ‘Clubcard’ (TescoPlc, 2013). Research by Clemons and Row (1991) suggests that although it is unlikely that any single investment in information technology will lead to competitive advantage, what does make a difference is the competency to innovate with IT over a period of time. This shows how Tesco’s innovation of the ‘Clubcard’ has enabled them to differentiate from their competitors, as they have shown the notion of innovation that is not easily replicated. Specifically, Tesco’ use of information technology has lead to a competitive advantage as it is  used to leverage differences in strategic resources. Evidence of this is supported by Rowley (2005), who describes how Tesco’s ability to understand their customers effectively, as a source of both differentiation and cost advantages, provides them with a competitive advantage. Rowley states that unlike other companies, Tesco uses data about its customers to provide services for them. This innovative capability allows making correct decisions about which products to supply and the best way to introduce this in-store as one of their key strategies. Thus, Tesco have fulfilled its strategy of meeting customer needs with in-store improvements through technology innovation and its use of marketing and sales. This applies to Porters generic strategy of gaining a competitive advantage, as Tesco have gained rare and imperfectly imitable competencies and resources. This discourages consumers from moving to Tesco’s competitors because Tesco have successfully differentiated. It also applies to the bargaining power of buyers, as ‘Clubcard’ remains as Tesco’s most successful customer retention strategy that significantly increases the profitability of Tesco’s business. In meeting customer needs, customising service, ensuring low prices, wider choices, constant flow of in-store promotions and improvements, enables Tesco to control and retain their customer base. Through the value network, this allows them to successfully form a link with the value chains other activities and build more capable inbound and outbound logistics by understanding they’re customers needs in more depth and develop they’re capability to fulfil those needs. One of the value chains primary activities and one of Tesco’s core competencies is outbound logistics. Evidence of this is supported by Smith and Sparks (1993), who describes the constant upgrading of Tesco’s systems and processes through innovative IT. Tesco have been substantially re-engineering their outbound logistics with the use of information technology, to facilitate better management of product lifecycles and more efficient delivery of wide ranges of products to customers, with a focus on enhancing core ranges and introducing quality products (TescoPlc, 2013). This is truly evident in terms of tremendous growth of on-line sales where the company has a strong platform to further develop this revenue stream. After considering the fact that the majority of people have less time for shopping, Tesco employed this online system and have now became the UK’s biggest online supermarket. Inbound logistics is another primary activity of the value chain and one of Tesco core competencies. Tesco use their leading market position and economies of scale as key bargaining powers to achieve low costs from its suppliers, and therefor lowering the costs of their products. Evidence of this is provided by Lindgreen and Hingley (2003), who describe how Tesco are able to use innovative suppliers as a rare capability because no other company are able to use data based management so extensively. This applies to Porters generic strategy of gaining a competitive advantage by Tesco using they’re resources to achieve cost leadership, and shows their ability to fulfil its strategic objectives of meeting the needs of its customers. Another one of the value chains primary activities is operations and Tesco operational effectiveness is one of their core competencies. Evidence of how Tesco’s sustain their operational effectiveness is the Extranet systems it has employed (Ward and Daniel, 2012). Evidence of this is also supported by Francis (2004), who describes how Tesco uses the Extranet system to manage a complex operating environment that helps them to organise their operations in order to fulfil their objectives of meeting customer needs, by providing customers with a wider range of products and improving in-store logistics Pfaffenberger, 1997). This shows evidence of how Tesco fulfil their strategic objectives of developing a successful operating environment for its colleagues. This is coherent with Porters generic strategy framework, as technology is used an effort to maintain Tesco’s ability to handle an increase in product and service volume while controlling costs, thus, it enables Tesco to be differentiated from its market through innovation, whilst being cost effective. Providing customers with effective inbound and outbound logistics through implementing effective IT operations systems, and gaining a better understanding of customers and suppliers through information technology through marketing and sales, shows how Tesco are able to use the value network by linking primary activities of the value chain. Furthermore, this cannot be done without Tesco implementing one of their key strategies of investing in the development of more leaders and a bigger, more diverse talent pool to support the growth of these operations functions. Evidence of this is supported by Palmer (2005), who states that Tesco’s HR managers are trained to make data based decisions and forget previously used management methods. Tesco is also organised to capture value from this capability, as it has trained HR managers that know how to use the data and manage people accordingly and who also have the needed IT skills to collect and manage the data about its customers effectively.