Best School Lunch Sicilian Broccoli and Cauliflower Pasta free essay sample

My favorite place in Napa, California isn?t a twenty-star restaurant, it isn?t an artisan olive oil producer, and it isn?t a tasting room with a penchant for terroir-specific local wines. My favorite place in Napa is  The Oxbow School. It is a small, semester-long boarding program for high school students combining hard-core interdisciplinary academics with the study of visual arts. In addition to top-flight academics, the school nourishes creativity through a kitchen, headed by chef Tracy Bates, that prepares food to rival many of the schools pedigreed Napa neighbors.I stumbled onto the Oxbow School (just before their first class arrived) five or so years ago and have been peripherally involved with it ever since. In my mid-twenties, I worked on quite a few projects in the teen publishing space and and wanted to stay involved with teens (even if it wasn?t on a professional level) moving forward. We will write a custom essay sample on Best School Lunch: Sicilian Broccoli and Cauliflower Pasta or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page So, in regards to the school I help out whenever I can ? photography, tech support, fundraisers, whatever?One of the perks of visiting the school is that I get to share lunch or dinner with the staff and students, prepared by Tracy and her hard-working kitchen staff.I?ve been itching to write about Oxbow for a long time and was waiting for the perfect opportunity. When I was contacted about giving an  Independent Food Festival Award  this year, I figured there would be no better time to recognize Tracy and the Oxbow School for:  Best School Lunch.   Read more about my favourite dish Ill also take this opportunity to tell you a little bit more about the school, the food, the philosophy, and how it all ties together into one unique and progressive place.The Oxbow School sits at a bend in the Napa River a short walk from downtown Napa, and a stones throw from the  COPIA  center. Not only does Oxbow have one of the most progressive and demanding curriculums Ive seen, it re ally tries to look at students as individuals and whole people ? and a nutritious, delicious, and varied meal plan is a big part of that.The chef: Tracy is a woman close to my own heart. Not every school is blessed with a chef coming from Chez Panisse. Tracy made the jump from the restaurant industry to Oxbow and has used her skills from the start to develop ways to expose and teach each class of students about the importance of good, simple, and thoughtfully-prepared food. Her kitchen embodies the philosophy that there are delicious alternatives to fast food. Her offerings are constantly exploring the idea that eating fresh, seasonal food doesnt mean brown rice, blah steamed vegetables, bark and twigs. There is always a vegetarian (or vegan) option, and they like to mix things up a bit with crowd-pleasing favorites interspersed with a few more exotic offerings thoughout the course of a semester. For example: Mac+Cheese and Aloo Gobi, just not at the same meal. She and I are in agreement that hands-down, there is no better way to change minds or eating habits than to feed someone a delicious alternative to fast or over-processed foods. What I love about the food at Oxbow is that it is fresh, seasonal, unfussy, and family-style. The newly restored dining hall is bright and casual with big tall ceilings, amazing art on the walls, and it is a perfect place to enjoy a meal whether you are a student or adult ? it?s just a nice environment to be in.The Oxbow garden, just outside the kitchen window supplies fresh produce and ingredients for meals. The students can participate in planting, weeding, and harvesting each week if they are interested. The garden is able to supply everything from greens (both cooking and salad), potatoes, and tomatoes to herbs, garlic, and the last time I was up I noticed a variety of freshly planted citrus trees.The students can also participate in the kitchen as a co-curricular activity twice a week, where they might do things like: work on knife skills, make marinara sauce (learn to work without a recipe), make ginger cake (learn how to work WITH a recipe), comparative tastings (i.e. olive oils). All activities working towards instilling a sense of respect for the food they are preparing, knowing what they are eating and where it comes from, and kitchen safety and sanitation.The Oxbow School is a rare and unique place. Unfortunately there aren?t more schools out there like it. If you are interested in getting more information about the school, or know a young person who might enjoy and benefit from a semester at Oxbow, take a look at  their website.Tracy was nice enough to give me this favorite Oxbow recipe. She says it is surprising because you would think it is a dish that students might not like but they do. Its got savory, spicy, sweet, and earthy going on all at once. They serve it with a side of pan-fried chicken, but it makes a great entrà ©e on its own for the vegetarians. A word of caution, this is a BIG batch. We enjoyed leftovers for days ? but for smaller households you might consider cutting the recipe in half. Thanks to Tracy and the Oxbow kitchen staff for a tasty recipe. I would love to see a cookbook of all the favorite Oxbow recipes sometime down the line I would be the first one to buy it.

Unattainable ideals Essay Example

Unattainable ideals Essay Despite the health risks of some procedures, cosmetic surgery has boomed in commercial cultures. In Brazil the number of plastic surgery procedure jumped between 1996 and 1999 by 50 percent, to three hundred thousand, with the majority for purely aesthetic reasons. (Guernsey 2006, p. 180). In the United States the number of women who had breast enlargement surgery increased from thirty thousand in 1992 to eighty seven thousand in 1997. While number of men getting tummy tucks and nose reduction also increased, women represent 86 percent of the total 7. 4 million cosmetic surgeries performed in the United States.Outside the West as well, women now go to great lengths to conform to a white, Western physical ideal. Young women in East (Guernsey 2006, p. 181). Asia undergo cosmetic surgery to create creased eyelids, while in China dieting has become a fad for urban teenage girls. With raising standards of living and an expanding market for beauty products, the Chinese body ideal has changed from large to small, When I was young, people admired and were even jealous of fat people since they thought they had a better life, the manager of a Chinese weight loss center recalled. She explained in 1999 that fat is now considered awful. Binge eating is commonly connected to bulimia, with cycles of binge eating and vomiting closely intertwined (Blackburn et. We will write a custom essay sample on Unattainable ideals specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Unattainable ideals specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Unattainable ideals specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer al 2006, p. 24). It is also commonly connected with the culture of being overly concerned of looking fat that is initiated by family, friends and the media (Guernsey 2006, p. 181). The extent to which women feel dissatisfaction with their physical appearance is evident by adolescence. In the contemporary United States over half of thirteen-year-old girls and three-quarters of eighteen-year-old girls express dissatisfaction with their bodies.A 1986 study found that 70 percent of fourth-grade girls reported concern about their weight and that about half of them dieted. By age eighteen 60 to 80 percent of Americans girls, but only 15 percent of boys, had been on diets. According to British therapist Susie Orbach, up to 60 percent of six-to-nine-year-old girls worry about their body shape and size. (Liu Yufanf, 1999, p. 23) A study of both white and Asian girls in Great Britain revealed that a preoccupation with thinness among nine-year-old girls had a direct beating on the development of eating disorders.Liu Yufang, a diminutive young woman in China, expressed the sentiments behind this widespread phenomenon: I always want to lose weight. Everyone I knew is trying to be thinner. Women who do not meet the standards of the ultra-thin models are more than likely to compare their own bodies to those of the thin models in advertisements. According to Gayle R. Bassenoff, author of this study, Women who already have low opinions of their physical appearance are at an even greater risk for negative effects from media images. (Liu Yufanf, 1999, p. 24)Distorted body image is the result of comparison with unattainable ideals. This motivates people on the preoccupation with dieting. Three quarters of a large sample of American women considered themselves fat, even though one-quarter were not technically overweight and an-other 30 percent were actually underweight. Of those now diagnosed with anorexia and bulimia in the United States, 90 percent are female. Obsessed with the intake of food and control of their weight, these women can lose more than 25 percent of their body weight, either through dieting and exercise of through eating bingers followed by purging.Long-term effects include loss of bone density and heart problems. Some, such as singer Karen Carpenter and gymnast Christy Henrich, have literally starved themselves to death. Although the anorectic women are usually portrayed as a white, middle-class American, other women are by no means immune from eating problems. In the United States, Becky W. Thompson argues, Latina and African American women may use food to anesthetize the traumas of racism and poverty.Between one-thirds of the American women of color she studied had been sexually abused, and Thompson found that these women were likely to dissociate from their bodies. As one of her subjects, Rosalee, put it, dieting is one of those last-ditch efforts to make everything all right in your life when that is not the cause of the problem to begin with. Dieting, Thompson suggested, provided a way to transform the abused body, while purging represented a rejection of the body held responsible for its own abuse (Media’s Effect on Body Image).

Writing a Memoir from Occupied Palestine

Writing a Memoir from Occupied Palestine In Gaza, I Dare to Dream: Writing a Memoir from Occupied Palestine Rana Shubair is a writer from Palestine specializing in English language training, testing, and translation. Her first book, In Gaza I Dare to Dream, is a powerful memoir detailing everyday life within the Gaza Blockade.I discovered my passion for writing at the age of 12. I'd buy a stack of paper and sit at the back of the school auditorium, scribbling down my thoughts. As a babysitter, I would write poetry for hours, long after putting the child to bed. It was a way of collecting my thoughts; I could express my feelings, if only to a diary. Over the years, I bought many locked diaries and wrote in them every day. It was my retreat, my passion, and my remedy.My country has been a place of turmoil for the past 68 years. Denied basic human rights like freedom of movement and access to proper medical care, the daily struggles we Palestinians endure under the Occupation is almost unbearable. In the city of Gaza, we have been under an Israeli-imposed siege for ten whole years now, locked in a big open-air prison and denied a normal life.   These harsh conditions pushed me to voice my thoughts, igniting a desire to speak to the outside world.I can't end this post without mentioning my book and cover designer, Domini Dragoone. What I loved most about her was her sincerity and enthusiasm for my project and the help she gave me beyond her design work.   Here is what she had to say about my manuscript: "I'm very moved by your book and hope it gets into the hands of many readers; I feel like your story has the power to inspire such compassion and understanding, both things that the world can use a lot more of! I don't always get to work on projects with topics that I care about a great deal, so it has been a treat to work on a book that feels very important".Now having published my first book,In Gaza I Dare to Dream, I'm happy to say that one of my dreams has come true. And I couldn’t have done it without the help of some great people.In Gaza I Dare to Dream  is  available on Amazon  for Kindle and Paperback.

Professional Tips to Improve Your Literary Analysis Writing

Professional Tips to Improve Your Literary Analysis Writing Short and Easy Guide for Writing a Literary Analysis Many students dislike writing literary analysis and see no point in doing this. However, the task is a great practice for developing an analytical intuition and critical thinking. No matter what your teacher asks you to write: a short paragraph that explains some facts about a piece of literature or an analytical essay that consists of several pages, your preparation shall start from understanding the aim of the work. Reading a book, a novel or a poem, we accept the text as a whole. In other words, we see a completed imaginary picture. However, if we start to think about the written words more carefully and analyze each sentence, phrase or even a word, we may see a lot of information that is not very obvious, however, is interesting and valuable to a reader. Literary analysis is just like reading between lines. It allows us to see another side of written information and great shades of its meaning. In the beginning it may sound boring to you, however, later you may even find it interesting and intriguing. How to Read a Text for Literary Analysis Any analysis starts with reading the text that you are going to analyze. However, this time try to read the text more thoughtfully, finding answers to the following questions: What is the message the author wanted to share intentionally? Usually, it’s the easiest question to answer. You have just to read the text and to understand the information it gives. What is the true personality of the main characters? This question needs careful thinking. Try not only to notice direct descriptions of the characters but also to analyze their actions and the conditions that influenced them. Sometimes you may even discover real-life prototypes of the literary characters or those real-life figures that donated their features to the novel heroes. Why the author chose certain writing means and ways? Creating a poem or a novel, authors are trying to choose the size, tone, and language that would help to create the most appropriate atmosphere for the described event. Very often we do not notice these methods. However, if we look deeper, we will see the great work that stands behind each literary masterpiece. Moreover, sometimes an author may use special elements unintentionally. However, these elements may reveal some additional information about an author’s attitude to the described events or characters. What a Literary Analysis Is Developing a clear understanding of what literary analysis is, you will find the best way of analyzing the texts. In fact, literary analysis is an essay that helps to understand a piece of literature in a better and deeper way. It may be aimed at analyzing the whole text or understanding some characters or events described in the text. No matter which type of literary work you are supposed to analyze, the methods that are used for that will be the same or will slightly differ. In order to make your literary analysis detailed and informative, you shall start with separating a text on some parts and elements to work with each of them. Analyzing text, you shall pay attention to those elements that are less obvious, for example: the connection between the main information that an author wanted to express and the methods and words that were chosen for expressing it; the connection between the plot and the sub-plot of a literary work; the connection between the described events and the reality of the author. Sometimes it’s also wise to learn more about the author himself, trying to understand the personality and the possible mood of the writer. You may discover a lot of elements that could be influenced by some events from the childhood of the author, reflection of his political or moral views, etc. A Short Definition of Literary Analysis Literary Analysis is a detailed and complex analysis of elements and expressive methods that are used by an author for discovering and defining their effects on a reader and their role for expressing the main idea of the text. The literary analysis concentrates on a theme, topic, characters, plot, methods, and devices created or chosen by an author. Structure and Format of Literary Analysis Just like any other writing work, the literary analysis shall be properly formatted and structured. This helps to group and organize the information in a more logical and comfortable to read way. The structure of your literary analysis is similar to others essay that you used to deal with: Introduction; Thesis Statement; Body paragraph; Final Conclusion. Introduction The introductory part is aimed at telling your reader what the essay is about. It shall include elements like: Data about the analyzed piece of literature: title, a name of the author, year of creation and other information that may be helpful for identifying the subject. A statement or statements that may express the main aim of your essay. A thesis statement that shall be a final part of the introductory paragraph. It shall be short, laconic and very informative. Some writing experts advise to include a question that you are going to answer later in your essay. There is an easy way to check if the introductory paragraph is informative enough. Check if it answers the following questions: WHO: the information about an author and its creation. WHAT: the main question or issue that is going to be solved. HOW: the methods and ways that are going to be used in order to reach the aim. WHY: the idea about how the results can be used in real life, for which purposes and why the author of the essay choose the topic. Body Paragraph The common mistake of many students is writing the body of an essay as a single paragraph. This part of an essay is the biggest and most informative. It can be difficult to read or to understand it. That’s why it’s better to write two or more paragraphs with several sub-paragraphs if necessary. There are also several great tips that can help you to write a great body paragraph: Use a separate paragraph for each statement or an idea. It’s better to express the main idea at the beginning of the paragraph. Check if it coincides with the general idea of an essay that is mentioned in the thesis. Supporting your ideas with some facts can be useful. However, it’s also necessary to support your ideas with extracts from the piece of literature and quotes. For this purpose, you can use extracts of dialogues or monologues of the characters. Try to understand and to describe an author’s choice of literature techniques instead of giving simple definitions to them. End each paragraph with some important information. Psychologists say that readers will accept information better if it’s given at the beginning and at the end of a paragraph. Sometimes it’s very difficult not to step away from the main aim. To avoid that, check if each of your paragraphs corresponds to the main topic mentioned in the introductory part. Conclusion The final part of the essay is shorter but not less important than the body part. Some students think that the conclusion is a short and very laconic rewrite of the body paragraph. However, it’s wrong to think this way. The conclusion part is aimed at answering the main question that was described or mentioned in a thesis. It also shows how the statements that were mentioned and described in the body paragraph support the main conclusion. 5 Common Types of Literary Analysis There are several types of literary analysis. They differ due to pieces of literature they describe, their main aim and methods that are used for analysis. Here, we describe some of the existing types that are commonly used for academic programs: Close Reading This type of analysis is used for noticing and analyzing small details and parts of the text. For example, in this case, great attention is paid to some minor actions, gestures of the characters, choice of words, etc. This type of analysis allows noticing the smallest elements of the general picture created by an author and understanding it in a better way. Theoretical Unlike the type that is described above, the theoretical type of analysis is more concentrated on the general idea or some key elements. This analysis allows evaluating the main theory described in the literary work. It may also include a comparison between the described theory and other possible theories connected to a subject. Comparative This type of analysis means that a writer of an essay compares two or more elements that may have a connection to the piece of literature. In fact, there are different subtypes of the comparative analysis. It may be a comparison between two elements or characters that are used in the same text, a comparison between two literary works of the same or different authors, etc. Contextual This type of analysis requires a careful investigation of the historical, geographical and cultural background of the events that are described in a novel or a poem. This analysis is helpful for a better understanding of the information that is given in the author’s text. Applied The applied type of literary analysis is aimed at revealing your own attitude to the written text. Many students think that this means that writing an applied analysis can be less difficult than dealing with other types of analysis. In fact, it’s not really true. This type of analysis allows you to be more creative, however, it never means that the analysis shall look less critical and deep. Usage of Examples for Literary Analysis Using correct and illustrative examples may be a great method to support and explain your statements. Which examples can be used? Description of similar situations from your personal experience or experience of some people you know. Description of situations that are related to more understandable reality. For example, an explanation of how an event mentioned in an analyzed historical novel could be interpreted nowadays. Describing situations that are mentioned in other pieces of literature. Alternative Solution It’s always a nice way to read some additional guidelines or explanations and to practice for a while before writing an excellent literature analysis. However, students’ life is more complicated than it may appear. Sometimes students have too much work, feel unmotivated to write an essay or simply think that working on an essay or another type of writing assignment can ruin some of their great plans. There’s always an alternative solution for situations like that. For example, applying to our writing service in order to receive some help! If something goes wrong with the preparation of your writing paper, there’s no need to worry. We are always ready to save you!

Employee Safety and Rights Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Employee Safety and Rights - Research Paper Example Violence at the workplace can involve or affect employees, customers, clients and even visitors. In the United States alone 2 million workers report being victims of workplace violence each year (Occupational Safety and Health Administration). Although workplace violence can occur anywhere and to anyone, there are those who are at a greater risk than others (Dalton 37). For example, workers who work whose work is to deliver goods, services or passengers, those who work alone, those who work in areas that are high crime and those who work during odd hours are more likely to encounter some form of workplace violence than other workers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has records of 4,547 workplace injuries that occurred in 2010; of these, 506 were reported to be workplace homicides (Occupational Safety and Health Administration). These statistics paint a grave picture of the rate of workplace violence present in the country’s work places. This issue is the cause of major concern not only for employees, but also for employers whose obligation includes taking care of their employees, customers and visitors. How Can Managers Handle Workplace Violence? One of the best protection measures against violence that employers can offer their employees is by establishing anti-workplace violence policies. ... and what workplace violence entail and the repercussions of meting out such violence to other employees or anyone else within the workplace, they should also understand the steps that they should take if and when they experience any form of violence while they are working. Employers should also educate their employees on how to protect themselves when they are subjected to workplace violence. These policies should be regularly reviewed to ensure that they cover all forms of violence that are likely to occur at the work place (Dalton 88). Employers can also secure the workplace as a way of ensuring that their employees are not subjected to any kind of violence when they are on official duty. Securing the workplace involves installing security equipment throughout the place of work (Kerr 203). This equipment may include: extra lighting, video surveillance and alarm systems. Unauthorized access from outsiders can be minimized through the use of electronic keys, identification badges and physical guards. These security measures are especially important and relevant in workplaces where the employees are in continuous contact with non-employees. If the work involves handling of large amounts of cash, employers can install drop safes to minimize the amount of cash at hand at any single moment (Gustin 81). Employers should instruct their employees to use communication equipment whenever they are out on field assignments (Paludi, Nydegger and Paludi 92). The employers should provide hand-held alarm systems or noise devices and cellular phones which would enable them to stay in contact at all times when they are on duty. The employees should also be encouraged to prepare and adhere to a daily work plan. Providing escort services to employees who work in high risk areas is also a

Information system in Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Information system in Management - Essay Example It is therefore clear that by identifying strength position, business can take fair advantage, eliminate wrong situations and eventually creating sustainable advantage. Supplier power is one of the important forces which help business to determine ease of driving up prices by the suppliers. Business may counterbalance this force by standardizing specifications in parts for it to change among suppliers easily. Business may decide to add more vendors or even change technology to eliminate coming together of strong suppliers. By standardizing specifications, adding more vendors and changing technologies, it would be easy to weaken supplier power hence creating sustainable advantage (Porter, 2008). Additionally, there is buyer power which includes the number of buyers as well as their importance to the business. Business would have sustainable advantage if the number of buyers who can control the business and lower down pressure. Business should therefore attempt to disperse their buyers and ensure that not a few buyers can control it by dictating transactional terms. Moreover, business may have tremendous strength if there are few competitors in the industry. Competitive rivalry is a very crucial force that every organization must take serious note of. For sustainable advantage, a firm may decide to differentiate her products and add value as a way of staying ahead of their competitors. This will also reduce the threat of substitution through supplying of unique products that cannot be easily substituted hence boosting a business power. Furthermore, threat of new entry is very important because the easier it is to enter the market due to minimal cost and time, the bigger the threat. An organization should try as much as possible to guard her key technologies and increase economic of scales which strengthens durable barriers hence providing favorable position (Porter, 2008). It is important for every business to create value since it is out of the value created

Google Case Study Essay Example for Free

Google Case Study Essay Google was founded in 1999 and has been around in your everyday life ever since. Ranging from search engines to books to email, Google is somehow incorporated in your lives everyday. Originally beginning with their focus on search engines and algorithms, Google has since widened their availability of products. In 1999, when Google first came about, the company’s mission was: Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. 15 years later, this is still the mission of the company. According to the article, it will take upwards of 300 years to obtain and organize all of the world’s information. That being said, it is safe to say Google has a long way to go but are they headed in the right direction? Google, just like any other company has goals and objectives. Some of their goals include: Growth Develop and maintain the â€Å"perfect† search engine Provide innovative products early and often To organize information and make the web faster and better for everyone (These will be discussed in strategies and throughout the case analysis) Strategies Google is no different from Burger King or from LA Fitness. All companies share a same goal, regardless of the industry they are in: market share and growth. Google’s main goal is to continuously grow and dominate the market/industry and be a leader for years to come. Upon entering the market in 1999, Yahoo and AOL were some of leaders in the industry. Google immediately changed that by becoming working at becoming a player in the industry. As of 2009, Google had 65.6% share of all US searches and 90% of all international searches. Meanwhile, the closest rival (yahoo) had only  17.5%. Since the very beginning, Google came about to change search engines everywhere. They wanted to offer a faster search engine that provided more relevant results, incorporating history of search, keyword frequency, and important pages. Thus began the creation of paid listings. At the very beginning, paid listings were advertisements all around the page: top, bottom and in the margins. Additionally, cost per click (CPC) came about as well. Advertisers began to pay for clicked links by consumers to compete for position on search results pages. The higher their link was on the results page, the more likely it would be clicked. Google changed this aspect into a cost per impression, meaning if the ad is viewed and nothing clicked, then the client is still charged a fee. Google also developed a CPC rate based on actual clicks to expected clicks forecasted by Google themselves. In 2003, Google began advertising editorial content along with blogs, something that had not been done by any competitor yet. AOL ended up giving Google the rights to advertise on their website costing Google $1 billion and giving AOL $330 million advertising credit. Over the years Google has encountered many rivals and competitors ranging from Yahoo and Bing to Ebay and Amazon. These rivals came about due to the innovative products created at Google. Google purchased companies such as YouTube, DoubleClick and Channel Intelligence while coming up with products such as cloud applications, Google Docs, Gmail, Google Finance and so much more. Google was leaving their main focus of search engines and dabbled into other categories in the industry. To some, this could be seen as dangerous and deadly to the company itself. Not for Google, anything they touched turned into gold. Google Docs immediately challenged Microsoft Office while Gmail challenged any and all free email websites. Google has also come out with tablets and mobile phones of late, allowing them to compete in yet another industry. Some might ask what is so appealing about all of their products? In my personal experience, I would say the ease of use is what appeals to me. Anytime I have used a product of Google, it is so easy to use and has lots of capabilities. Some might see this ease of use as a competitive advantage. When it all comes down to it, developing the â€Å"perfect† search engine is their main focus. Google has a philosophy that says, â€Å"Do one thing really, really well.† That is why the main focus of the company is developing the perfect search engine and organizing the world’s information.  Through paid as well as free listings, Google has developed a faster and more accurate way to sort search results. This will continue to be their focus in the future and Google hopes to master the art of the search engine. Google Culture and Values During its existence, Google has proven to be loyal to a certain set of values, principles and culture. In my opinion, this can be swayed as part of their business strategy as well. As part of there culture, they make these three things consistently known: 1. â€Å"Don’t be evil† – Do not compromise the integrity of search, effective advertising without being flashy, and do not allow ads on webpages that have no relevance. At Google they have a firm set of beliefs and this is an important one. Google makes sure to do things the right way and follow their moral and ethic code. They do not take advantage of publishers, clients or the customers. Google is here to provide a service as well as products and they do so in an honest way. 2. â€Å"Technology Matters† – Technology rules everything. Developing a faster and more accurate search query could only be done so through new and advancing technology. Google developed custom hardware to decrease costs a nd improve speed. 3. â€Å"We make our own rules† – The founders at Google ran the company in a different and unconventional way. They were very secretive to outsiders, only unveiling things that they were required to and nothing more. This leads into their unconventional governance structure as well. Governance at Google was an interesting situation when it came to the IPO. They decided to offer dual class equity, giving 10 votes per share of Class B and Class A receives 1 vote per share. Assuming that majority of people will sell their shares anyways; that left the CEO Schmidt and the founders, Brin and Page, with 80% control of the vote. This allowed them to control the strategy and direction of the company. They made it very well known the direction the company was headed in and that anyone who invests is not only investing in Google, but the idea and direction that Brin, Page and Schmidt want to go in. 4. â€Å"Do one thing really, really well† – This is basically a quote that Google has and will always live by. When Google first came about, the main focus of the company was providing a better search engine than what already existed. Google created algorithms that allowed for  quicker and more relevant search results. Between these algorithms and the deals Google scored with companies, they quickly jumped into majority market share. To this day, Google still acquires companies and has deals with clients to continuously improve search quality on and day-to-day basis. Do not expect this to ever change. There are other points that Google lives by but these four are the most important and outline their every decision, their every move. Situation Analysis SWOT Strengths 1. Brand Recognition – Everyone knows and has heard of Google. People have begun to use the company’s name as not only a proper noun but also a verb, â€Å"Googled it or Googling it†. To be so popular not just in the form of a search engine, but with all the products offered, that is a huge strength. Reputation is everything. 2. Acquisitions – â€Å"If you can’t beat them, join them†. That is a popular quote heard from time to time. Google has dominated the market since entry in 1999 and lots of companies have fallen to this quote. Google acquires competitors (current and possible future) from time to time, such as YouTube, DoubleClick and Channel Intelligence. This increases their reach towards possible new target markets, increasing revenue and profit. Most importantly, it increases market share. As a company absorbs competition, one would assume their market share becomes absorbed as well. 3. Algorithms – Google created an algorithm to link pages together that deserved attention. This allowed for faster and more relevant search results leading to Google becoming a true threat to competitors. Irrelevant results always swamped and spammed customers. Google found a way to trim this down and it also became a competitive advantage. 4. Free Services – Google offered free software to optimize advertising campaigns. Google Analytics allows companies to focus spending on specific keywords that are more popular so they are more likely to lead to sales. Weaknesses 1. Variety of products – I very well could have considered this one of their strengths as well. I firmly believe when Google came about, their main focus was to improve the quality of the search engine. Since then, Google has developed a wide variety of products ranging from books, email and videos all the way to mobile phones, operating software and Google docs. Offering a myriad of products and services can cause a company to lose their main focus. 2. Legal issues – Google seems to not be bothered by their legal issues. From copyright infringement (books) to searches by trademarks, Google has faced legal issues throughout their existence. There was a class action lawsuit in which Google ended up settling for $45 million with book authors/publishers for copyright infringement. In addition to that, placing competitor ads when a company is searched did not sit well with companies such as Geico or American Airlines. It created customer confusion and led to possible loss in sales for the clients of Google. These suits were also confidentially settled. 3. International Reputation- These legal issues were not solely domestic. Litigation for companies overseas ended in a different result, with the courts siding with multiple trademark holders rather than Google. Book scanning was resolved domestically as well but the results were opposite once again overseas. It seems as though Google has a poor reputation as a result of these legal issues overseas. Opportunities 1. Mobile Devices – Google has created an Android phone that is currently competing with top market mobile devices. They also have come up with Google Glass and tablets. There are more opportunities in this industry and large room for improvement on their existing products. Apple may dominate this part of the industry but it is not farfetched to think a company like Google cannot deplete Apple’s market share. 2. Full Service Portal – Yahoo currently offers a full service portal inclusive of sports, finance, email, calendar, tasks, etc. Google already individually offers some of these products. Maybe getting into the idea of a full service portal could be their next step? 3. Improving existing products – After initial releases of products, Google can weigh the popularity and success of each product. They  will know what is failing, what interests society and what they can/should improve on. Innovation is not only creating new products but also improving existing ones. 4. Advancing Technology – Google has acquired many companies throughout their existence, which allowed them to use new and uncharted technology. There is always new technology and Google is a multibillion-dollar company allowing them the possibility of purchasing if not creating this technology themselves. Adapting to new technology allows Google to gain an advantage over others in the industry Threats 1. Replacement Advertising – Google began advertising on search pages. Since the start of web advertising, we have come a long way. Now there are mobile phone apps that include advertising as well as social media sites. This could begin to threaten the market share and revenue of Google 2. Privacy Laws – As we know, Google is no stranger to legal issues. Privacy has begun to threaten Google in many different forms. One common for was through Gmail. Advertisements were chosen based on what the email said but no one was actually looking; there was simply an algorithm in place to extract that information and process it. The search history can be accessed and people think this invades their privacy as well. Your search history is available for up to 18 months. 3. Substitution- With the variety of products offered, each one has one or more competitors. If legal issues continue to rise or prices become too high, it is possible that customers switch from Google to their competitors. The threat of substitution is high in the sense of products other than search. Some would say they do not see a difference between Yahoo, Google and Bing BUT this is not a threat because as of 2009, Google had 65.6% of all US searches. If there is no difference, then where is the threat of this number to decrease? Why would anyone switch from the current search engine that they use? Competitive Advantage and Resources Resources and competitive advantages seem to go hand in hand here at Google. A key resource is the employees. Google has approximately 48,000 employees; this calls for a wide variety of knowledge and talent. Each employee brings  something different to the table. Google stresses individualism and personal projects. If 48,000 people are striving to improve the company and create new possibilities, that would make employees a phenomenal resource. Another resource is their algorithms. As I have stated throughout this discussion, Google created algorithms to create a faster, more dependable and relevant search engine. Developing these algorithms allowed them to sustain a competitive advantage. In fact, some competitors even wanted to purchase the use of these on their engines (Yahoo and AOL)! Instead, Google went ahead and created a search engine becoming a direct competitor. Another resource, which might actually seem odd, is the founders and CEO of the company. They run Google in an unconventional way but it has really paid off. They developed a set of values and pounded this culture into all heads at Google. Technology is another resource used at Google. Technology in general is always changing and people constantly have to adapt. Google is a driver of technology and constantly brings products to the market. Google uses technology to succeed as well as incur a profit. The above resources can also be considered competitive advantages for Google. The algorithm that was created set Google apart from competitors and allowed them to enter the market. They immediately began obtaining market share and competitors could not compete with that type of search engine. Brand recognition is another competitive advantage. If people were to give me the option to use Bing, Yahoo or Google, I would hands down always use Google. Not that I can tell a difference but simply because I am accustomed to it. It is well known and developed in so many facets of the industry. Another competitive advantage that Google has is its free software. The competitors cannot afford to offer free services to clients, which gives Google a leg up on the competition. It allows Google to tap into new markets, further tap into current markets and please current clients. Data scraping abilities (which I have direct contact with) is another competitive advantage. The data scraping capabilitie s at Google are unbelievable. The resources they have here allow them to analyze every bit of data possible. This leads to better and more accurate services for clients, enhanced keywords, and an enhanced overall experience for clients. Porters 5 Forces Threat of new entrants – Some would consider this high but I think it varies depending on which segment you are discussing. In the search engine segment, I would say the threat is low but when you look at the multitude of products offered elsewhere, there is always a high threat. Costs to enter could be high in some segments while low in others. While profits are attractive and could result in new companies entering the market, Google as a dominant firm can turn these potential threats away. Threat of Substitutes – This has the same basis as threat of new entrants. Depending on the product, the threat could be high or low. Cell phones and tablets have a ton of possible substitutes out there and that can cause customers to switch brands. Varying prices of products or differences in quality can cause a high threat of substitution as well. Rivalry- High. There are rivals in every segment of Google’s business. Search engine has Yahoo as its biggest competitor but not limited to just them. There is also Bing, AOL, and other small competitors. The existence of innovation and new products keeps the rivalry intense amongst competitors in the industry. Similar products and similar goals keep the rivalry constant Bargaining power of suppliers – Low. The main suppliers of Google are engineers. Due to the number of engineers, the supplier has low bargaining power. Google has 48,000 employees and if engineers feel they can do better elsewhere, then Google will find replacements. Being such a large and successful company almost has Google on a pedestal. Who wouldn’t jump at the opportunity to work for them? Bargaining power of consumers – Also varies based on what product is being discussed. When you discuss tangible products such as mobile phones or tablets, power is high. When it comes to search engines, Google Docs, Gmail, etc, power is low. Although there are other substitutes to these items listed above, the interface and software of Google sets it apart from  the rest. The threat of switching is non-existent. Critical Success Factors – these are factors that are necessary for a company to achieve its mission. For Google, the following are CSF: Speed and accuracy- The faster results can be displayed with accuracy then the more likely that people will use Google. This is how Google set themselves apart from the industry. New algorithms allowed for more relevant results at a quicker pace. Quality search results – As I stated above, the algorithm allowed for relevant results. People were being spammed by random links not relevant to what they were looking for. Innovation- Google is constantly bringing products to the market and attracting new target markets. Not only are they bringing new products to light, they are changing and improving existing products Culture – This is a CSF for Google because it sets them apart from competitors. Google stands by their beliefs and their culture 100%. They do not deter from these beliefs regardless of the situation. It allows them to think outside the box and differently than competitors Ease of use – Older generations are not completely acquainted with the use of technology and probably never will be. The ease of use could help close that gap tremendously and allow for Google to tap another market. The multitude of products, software, hardware or tangible products need to be easy to use. Even my generation has trouble with software and hardware, it is like a second language to some! Alternatives and Recommendations A few possible alternatives that Google can do are become a full access portal, increase personal time to 20% (making it a 60-20-20 system) and focus on improving existing products. Becoming a full access portal will allow Google to take some additional market share from Yahoo. Currently Yahoo offers finance, sports, mail, news, etc. all in one place. Google needs to put this into action. The pros of this are that Google already has these things but offers them separately. Google has the Gmail option, finance, news, maps, books and much more. It already has the pieces and just needs to combine them into  one place. This should not be hard with all the talented engineers on staff. Another pro is that the market share is bound to increase. Google already has many loyal customers to different segments of the market. Some might use Yahoo for things not currently offered in the same place. If Google offers sports where it has email and finance (for example), it could take away customers from Yahoo. A con is that this is a big risk. If the interface is not easy to understand or follow, people might abandon these options altogether and go directly to a competitor. Increasing personal time spent on projects to 20%, changing the culture to a 60-20-20. Currently Google encourages personal projects and stresses to work on a 70-20-10 basis. Google says they do not mind spending money now if it can lead to possible wealth over time. For this idea, there are a few cons. Employees could get caught up in their personal ideas and projects leaving the important ones assigned by managers past due. This could also be seen as free time and some might take advantage of it as a break from work in general. Another con is if 48,000 employees are working on their own projects 20% of the time, it might not be time well spent amongst everyone. Even if everyone is working diligently on a project, these projects might not pan out and that is a lot of wasted time. One of the biggest pros is high risk, h igh reward. Google is willing to take a risk after evaluating projects developed by employees. Allowing them to work on personal projects 20% of the time can create more opportunities to â€Å"hit big† for Google. Another pro is the encouragement of creativity. Personal projects call for creativity and this can then transfer over into the 60-20 time spent elsewhere. My last suggestion is to focus on existing products rather than continue to increase the amount of products they have already. Google came about and was focused on search but since then have brought multiple products to the forefront of the market. While they have been mostly successful, existing products can still be tweaked to gain maximum exposure. The main pro of this suggestion is that the kinks and problems existing could be resolved. Google could perfect already popular and existing products with the possibility of taking demand from competitors. Another pro is redirecting their focus back to the original product and the main source of revenue. Search was the first product of Google and even today it makes up the majority of the revenues (including advertising since they are hand in hand). Some cons are that they could be missing out on the next big thing. Putting all focus on existing products might have Google miss out on a hot new product that could really bring a big boom to the company. Another con is there might not be much more additional potential to focusing on existing products. They have acquired companies and competitors throughout their time and this is one way to focus on existing products. Another recommendation is pretty simple and quick to the point. Get rid of products that do not have high value to the company. The scope of the product line is wide and I do not think it is possible that all are value-adding products to Google. While some might be reaching large audiences and bringing high profits to the company, there are always some that are not doing so well. While they still might be making a profit, the workforce could be used elsewhere and that might have a higher value than the non-core product. Resources and time could be used elsewhere to perfect other products or to create new and innovative ones. The con is that while it might not be adding â€Å"value†, the product is still bringing in a profit. Google is very successful and would not have a product existing that currently has costs outweighing benefits. They are too smart for that. Giving up on a product might not be the correct decision just because it is not bringing in expected amounts of money. My recommendation would be to combine the 60-20-20 option with the focus on existing products option. While the 60-20-20 idea can cause a lack of focus, intertwining it with the existing products idea allows that focus to still be there. Employees can incorporate work on existing products in that additional 10% of time as well. Allowing companies to work privately on anything could prove to be a bad idea but pairing it with existing products will benefit the company. Imagine 48,000 employees focusing on existing products. The sky is the limit and Google can really blow competitors out of the water. I decided the full service portal is not a good suggestion. The risk of it not being easy to access and maneuver around does not outweigh the benefits. Customers already use a variety of products regardless if they are all in one location. If putting theses product in one place backfires due to difficulty of use, customers may go to Yahoo and begin using their portal. Google already has a sense of customer loyalty so  why try and change something that is working. Implementation The recommendation at hand here is to increase personal time to 20%, making the culture at Google 60-20-20 while maintaining focus on existing products. To begin this recommendation, Google should select a percentage of employees to test this out. Of 48,000 employees, they cannot have everyone working on personal projects right off the bat. It might lead to laziness and lack of effort across the board. Google should select maybe 5% of the workforce and allow them to allocate additional time towards personal projects. Google can then compare it to prior months focus on core business and see if they still maintained focus. If this was successful, then little by little introduce the workforce to this new concept. Another part of this implementation would be to have different shifts. Everyone cannot work on personal projects at the same time. Setting aside different shifts for the personal time could prove pivotal to the success of this idea. Google likes the idea of these creative concepts and have used them before. Gmail is an example of the â€Å"personal project† and now that has flourished into a leading email in the industry. Google has no problem investing in long shots and extending to 20% would do just that. Another part of the recommendation was to put focus on existing products and tweak or perfect them. To begin implementation, analysts at Google need to perform an industry analysis and provide some data on the competitors that exist with similar products. Google needs to have numbers and data comparisons so that they know how their products are doing in comparison to possible substitutes. After analyzing the industry, Google would send out customer surveys. All customers are in a database and have their emails, addresses, phone numbers, etc. on file. Google will find a way to reach the customer, send them a short survey on what they like, what they don’t like, what needs improvement and other beneficial questions. To figure out what needs improvement, you MUST talk to the users of the product. Upon finding out what is liked, what needs fixing, Google must assign a task force to tackle the job. This can now be intertwined with the 60-20-20 change stated above. While it may be a core business task, the idea of how to fix a problem or tweak a product can  be completed during the 20% personal time. Once the task force has been assigned, the product will be evaluated by everyone on the task force. They will be encouraged to give blunt honest opinions on the product as well. These employees are more knowledgeable than the everyday user so they might have different ideas that could be acknowledged as well. Once the survey period has ended for both customers and employees, brainstorming must begin. Individualism is encouraged but working in teams can help brainstorming run more smoothly. Ideas will be bounced around and once they can settle on what needs to be done, the â€Å"how† part takes place. Strategies on changing, marketing, and promoting the new product need to be derived and approved by managers. Once the strategies are derived, products will begin to go through the makeover process. Throughout this makeover process, Google will begin marketing and promoting the changes that are coming. The public will become aware, arousing curiosity as to what Google did to make this amazing product even better. This will lead to some hype and Google, like usual, will please the customers and the public. Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. They have been doing this since 1999 and have a long way to go. Focusing on existing products by fine-tuning them will help change the world forever. Allowing new and great ideas to develop internally and then possibly taking a risk is what makes Google great. Google is an innovative company, changing many segments of many industries ever since Day 1. Just as the article says, everyone fears Google†¦as they should.