Friday, August 21, 2020

How Does the Writer Tell the Story in the Road Pages 24-7 Essay

The story in Pages all day, every day depends on the principle character taking his child to see the old house he lived in. It comprises of commonly a tragic tone since he is thinking back his past and how he has lost everything. This piece of the novel starts impartially, yet with a prophetically catastrophic environment to it, which is exhibited using no accentuation. McCarthy likewise utilizes short sentences through these pages, which gives a mechanical sense †‘The man stopped.’ This thought is additionally reflected in the title ‘The Road’; as though the excursion is simply on one set way. This removes us from the haze of the novel and carries us to an unmistakable reality, The peak in this piece of the novel is when McCarthy portrays the character’s room, in which he utilizes itemized depiction †‘In the evenings in their thousands to dream the fantasies of a child’s imaginings’, and afterward proceeds to open the wardrobe entryway. Once more, we are taken back to reality when he hopes to see his youth things and rather is confronted with ‘raw cold daylight’. The page closes hovering back to the start ‘We shouldn’t h ave come’, which is the thing that the kid said toward the start. Accordingly, there is a feeling of goals. The type of these pages is review story punctuated by flashbacks over a time of 40 years. As the account is from third individual point of view, the secrecy of ‘the man’ forestalls an association being made between the peruser and the character. This likewise recommends, on the grounds that his name is never referenced, a feeling of being lost is depicted. Also, the steady flashbacks utilized add to the possibility that the days are obscuring together. Once more, this adds to the prophetically catastrophic topic on the grounds that there is no feeling of expectation because of the main away from of the novel are the snapshots of reality when we are brought again from the flashbacks. McCarthy does this as a powerful method for demonstrating the character’s manner of thinking. The principle utilization of language McCarthy utilizes is to established the negative pace of being in a lost, practically tragic and forlorn world. Once more, he does this by utilizing short, smart sentences and a great deal of the discourse utilized incorporates addressing. This could allude to the boy’s disarray of the circumstance, as he appears to be very youthful and naã ¯ve †‘We ought to go Papa, can we go?’ Moreover, this proposes he needs consolation, and maybe that there is a hint of something better over the horizon in the circumstance, which maybe could anticipate to what could happen later on in the novel. We can likewise discover that the man doesn’t need to come back from his old home as he consents to leave however then doesn’t, which means that he misses how things used to be in his old home. The beat in this piece of the novel continues forever through McCarthy’s utilization of short sentences and questions, which near ly keeps the peruser feeling separate from breath and as though ‘The Road’ and its excursion is progressing. All in all, McCarthy utilizes a scope of strategies to recount to the story from Pages 24-27 to by and large add to the primary subjects inside the novel, for example, passing and the ‘end of the world’.

Thursday, June 4, 2020

Brutus and Caesar Characters in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar - Free Essay Example

â€Å"I love the name of honor, more than I fear death.† This was said by Julius Caesar who later died due to his pride and honor devoted to himself and his city. Caesar is a powerful, well spoken and persuasive man in power. Brutus, on the other hand, is loyal, noble, and patriotic. Both characters love their city but show their pride in different ways. Unfortunately, Caesar was killed before being able to show his capability and what he could achieve but, he shows his personality traits before his death. Brutus shows his attributes throughout the whole play. Caesar’s characteristics seem to make him flourish while Brutus’s personality traits seem to be his biggest fault. Shakespeare portrays these characters in many different ways throughout the play, but mainly through Caesar’s arrogance and Brutus’s naivety. Julius Caesar has an extreme amount of power over the populaion throughout the time he is alive and that power remained strong after his death. From the beginning of the play to his death, Caesar is shown to be power-hungry. One of Caesar’s main goals was to seek of authority over Rome. This search for power causes Caesar to show both his positive and negative personality traits. These traits include; being exceptionally cunning, well driven, while also being foolish. Caesar shows his foolishness when the soothsayer tries to warn him and Caesar replies with, â€Å"He is a dreamer; let us leave him: pass† (1.2.24). Since the soothsayer can forsee the future, it would have been wise of Caesar to take notice of his warning. Caesar also tries to show the plebeians his courage and selflesness when he says: Caesar should be a beast without a heart If he should stay at home to-day for fear. No, Caesar shall not. Danger knows full well That Caesar is more dangerous than he (2.2.45-51) Ceasar thinking that he should be a beast without a heart not only shows his courage but also his determination to depict a strong leader to the citizens. Marcus Brutus has the faulty quality of being too naive for his own good. He truly wants what is best for Rome but his lack of being able to think for himself is what truly fails him in the end. Brutus shows his naivety when he tells Cassius that Antony should not worry them. Brutus says, â€Å"Our action will seem too bloody, Caius Cassius,/ To cut the head off and then hack the limbs† (2.1.61-65). Brutus should have known Antony would retaliate being Antony is so devoted Caesar. Another one of Brutus’s attributes would be his loyalty. Brutus demonstrates that he is trustworthy and loyal when he tells the conspiators they do not need an oath. Brutus says, â€Å"if not the face of men,/ The sufferance of our souls, the times abuse,—/ If these be motives weak, break off betimes† (2.1.114-116).Brutus thinks that the rest of the consipirators are as loyal to the conspiracy as he is. Not only does this display that he is trustful, it again shows his gullibilit y. At face value, Julius Caesar and Brutus seem very different from each other, but they may be more similar than they appear. Caesar and Brutus are well-liked by the commoners. Due to this, they both can pursuade them easily. Julius is very charming and that shows when he declines the crown three times. Casca explains to the conspirators what she saw. â€Å"and he put it by thrice, every/ time gentler than other, and at every putting-by/ mine honest neighbours shouted† (1.2.321-323). Although Brutus was never offered a crown, he shows his charm in a different way. Brutus persuades the crowd into thinking that killing Caesar was necessary, â€Å"—Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved/ Rome more. Had you rather Caesar were living and/ die all slaves, than that Caesar were deadâ€Å" (3.2.1555-1557). Although he persuaded the crowd, what he failed to accomplish was the emotional aspect of the speech, which Antony thrived at in his. In addition to them both having charm, Brutus and Caesar are both extremely conceited. Caesar is conceited in obvious ways where Brutus is not. Cassius convinces Brutus that he is as, if not more, intelligent and powerfull than Caesar. â€Å"I was born free as Caesar; so were you:/ We both have fed as well, and we can both/ Endure the winters cold as well as he† (1.2.187-189). Gradually, this makes Brutus believe that instead of Caesar, he should be the person in power of Rome. When Brutus comes to believe that he should be in power, he in turn becomes arrogant. To conclude, these characters are both strong, powerful men who are illustrated in many different ways through the beginning to the end of the play. The Tragedy of Julius Caesar was truly a tragedy for both of these authoritative Romans. Brutus let his innocence hinder his means of achieving his goals and Caesar allowed his pride to interfere with his success. The plot of the play establishes the qualities and virtues of both of these dynamic people. Although they were influential, Brutus and Caesar both had faults that ultimately led to their demise.

Sunday, May 17, 2020

Getting to Know the Pachycephalosaurus

As befits a dinosaur named after its massive skull—which measured a whopping 10 inches thick on the front and forward side of its head—most of what we know about Pachycephalosaurus is based on skull specimens. Still, that hasnt kept paleontologists from making educated guesses about the rest of this dinosaurs anatomy: its believed that Pachycephalosaurus possessed a squat, thick trunk, five-fingered hands, and an upright, two-legged posture. This dinosaur has given its name to an entire breed of odd-looking boneheads, the pachycephalosaurs, other famous examples of which include Dracorex hogwartsia  (named in honor of the Harry Potter series) and Stygimoloch (aka the horned demon from the river of hell). Thick Skulls Why did Pachycephalosaurus, and other dinosaurs like it, have such thick skulls? As with most such anatomical quirks in the animal kingdom, the the most likely explanation is that the males of this genus (and possibly the females as well) evolved big skulls in order to head-butt each other for dominance within the herd and win the right to mate; they may also have gently, or not so gently, butted their heads against each others flanks, or even the flanks of menacing tyrannosaurs and raptors. The main argument against the head-butting theory: two half-ton Pachycephalosaurus males charging each other at top speed might have knocked themselves out cold, which would certainly not be an adaptive behavior from an evolutionary perspective!  (Whatever its ultimate purpose, Pachycephalosaurus block-shaped bean clearly didnt protect it from oblivion; this was one of the last dinosaurs on earth, in the late Cretaceous period, when a meteor impact 65 million years ago rendered the entire breed extinct.) As with another family of ornamented dinosaurs, the horned, frilled ceratopsians, theres a fair amount of confusion about pachycephalosaurs in general (and Pachycephalosaurus in particular) at the genus and species level. It may well be the case that many diagnosed genera of pachycephalosaurs actually represent the growth stages of already-named species; for example, both the above-mentioned Dracorex and Stygimoloch may well turn out to belong under the Pachycephalosaurus umbrella (which will no doubt be a major disappointment to Harry Potter fans!). Until we know more about how the skull of Pachycephalosaurus developed from hatchling to adult, this state of uncertainty is likely to persist. You might be amused to learn that, in addition to Pachycephalosaurus, there was also a dinosaur named Micropachycephalosaurus, which lived a few million years earlier (in Asia rather than North America) and was a couple of orders of magnitude smaller, only about two feet long and five or 10 pounds. Ironically, the tiny thick-headed lizard may have engaged in true head-butting behavior, since its tiny size would allow it to survive head-on impacts unscathed.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Effects Of Gender Stereotypes On Children s Clothing

Introduction (Slide 1-3) During the Victorian times, people were dressed to show their identity and also their position in the society. Same as their children, parents also paid the attention to the things their children wore. They were dressed exactly the same style as their parents. Once graphics that separated sexes appeared on clothing, their styles were more specific as boy s or a girl s clothing. So colors were used for children s clothing is a gender symbolism, which is one thing that always be a part of the kid’s garment since that time. However, some parents at the present time are looking for the clothes that is not pushing gender stereotypes on their kids too much. It could be argued that gender in children’s clothing is slightly changing at different periods of time. The layette (Slide 4-6) In the 1800s, before a layette was known, swaddling clothes were the first baby’s first garment. It refers to wrapping infants in blankets or any kind of fabrics in different lengths. The layette was taken place in the Victorian times made swaddling became unpopular. Layette comes from the French word means little drawer, so it could be mean to buy the baby a drawer full of clothes, or at least the essentials that need to get through the first months. The material of a layette in the victorian times were mostly natural fabrics, such as muslin, linen, pure woolen, and cotton. This baby’s first wardrobe contained the fist shirts and cotton diapers with pure wool or silkShow MoreRelatedGender Roles Of Video Games : Implications For Gender Socialization And Aggressive Behavior1576 Words   |  7 Pages1412378 SOCIOL 1A06 - TUTORIAL #24 10/20/2014 Sociology 1A06 Assignment Part B Article 1: Dietz, Tracy L. (1998). An examination of violence and gender role portrayals in video games: Implications for gender socialization and aggressive behavior. Sex Roles, 38(5/6), 425-442). 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First of all I reviewed differentRead MoreGender Roles Of Men And Women Have Been Present In Society1418 Words   |  6 PagesGender roles of men and women have been present in society for a number of years, and the traditional roles have stuck through all the cultural changes. What about the people who do not identify themselves with their born gender but, instead another? How are they affected by how society sees them for not conforming to the traditional gender roles? Transgender people are faced with many judgements from their community based on how they identify themselves, their actions and how they express themselvesRead MoreWomen s Social And Mental Development1439 Words   |  6 Pagescreates unrealistic and falsified interpretation of what it mean to be a specific gender. As a result, it can be seen that today’s modern western pop cultural, has become globalized i nto an industry of gender roles in which has transformed mainstream television, commercial ads, movies and toys. Stereotypical traits have been assigned to each gender and has become a significant problematic concern among adults in raising children. With the significant rise for entertainment in mainstream filmography andRead MoreWomen And Women Are Like Dogs1544 Words   |  7 Pagesdifferences between the genders. Advertisers capitalize on the fact that men and women are different in order to persuade individuals to consume products and services. Advertising is an important medium in modern society and is used to influence many of the purchasing decisions made by male and female consumers. It is a powerful tool that expresses, develops and alters ideas of gender and social class. Since people identify themselves by their gender, advertisers focus on stereotypical gender characteristicsRead MoreGender Wage Gap By Susan B. Anthony875 Words   |  4 Pageswoman’s suffrage m ovement was just beginning in the United States. Even after all this time, the gender wage gap is a still hot topic in the United States today. Popular stars and politicians including Kate Winslet, Jennifer Lawrence, and Hillary Clinton all have something to say about it. There is even a section of thewhitehouse.gov dedicated to discussing the gender wage gap which is the comparison of women s wages to men’s wages in the United States (â€Å"Equal Pay†). It is pretty common knowledge in theRead MoreThe Transgender Community1071 Words   |  5 Pagesof the gender they identity with or have an alternate choice, some people many agree that is would be a dangerous liability, but some people may even agree to proving gender neutral restrooms. In dangerous of a person of the opposite sex using the restroom they prefer are very obvious, but is every person out to cause dangerous to other people in the restroom. Some people’s gender evolves differently, and might not f it rigid traditional notices of female and male. The effects of stereotype threatRead MoreGender Discrimination And Its Effects On Children s Behavior And Personality1508 Words   |  7 Pagesdress codes that punish girls for their body’s at the risk of the male education, and gender stereotypes placed in schools that have a strong influence on children s behavior and personality. Some may argue against this claim by arguing that women are not given credibility in history books because of their treatment in the past, dress codes are placed to stop distracting boys, or that the treatment of children in schools is more difficult for male students because they have larger dropout ratesRead MoreSocialization - Gender Messages in the Mass Media Essay975 Words   |  4 PagesSocialization - Gender Messages in the Mass Media How Images on Television/Movies reinforce society’s expectations of gender. The most powerful form of mass media that we enjoy in America is the television. What we see on our T.V.’s can have very deep and profound effects on our beliefs, our life-styles and our needs and behaviors. On most of T.V. women are portrayed as flawless, beautiful, hair of silk, skin like peaches and cream and God forbid if they can pinch an inch, whereasRead MoreGender Roles The Way Society Works1187 Words   |  5 PagesGender roles determine the way society works, and the way it views people. Whether it is considered unfair or not, there are many factors that are created from gender roles. Almost all parts of English life from 1674 to 1913 was influenced by gender(Clive, 1.) This way of life made a lasting impression, causing the years to follow to develop and abide by what is known as gender roles. Although gender roles have become a lot more diverse in society, there are still stereotypes and misconstrued gender

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Defining and Measuring Crime free essay sample

Defining and Measuring Crime The Uniform Crime Report (ucr) is an annually (yearly) report compiled by the FBI to give an indication of criminal activity. They organize offenses known to the police. The I-JCR divides the criminal offenses into categories: part 1 offense and part II offense. Part 1 offenses are crimes that are recorded by the FBI to give a general idea of the crime picture. Part 1 offenses crimes can be covered by the media and consequently nspire the most fear if crime in population. The majority crimes that fall into the part 1 offenses are property crimes. There are several types of part 1 offenses: criminal homicide- murder and non-negligent, manslaughter (the willful killing of a human being), manslaughter by negligence (the killing of a human being), forcible rape (female forcibly and against her will), robbery (taking/attempted to take anything of value), aggravated assault (unlawful attack by one person on another), burglary breaking and entering), larceny/ theft (unlawful taking away of property from the possession of another), motor vehicle theft (theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle) and arson (malicious burning or attempted burning). We will write a custom essay sample on Defining and Measuring Crime or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Part 2 offenses are all crimes recorded by the FBI that do not fall into the category of part 1 offenses. The most common offenses are drug abuse violations, driving under the influence and assault that dont result in harm. Part 2 are measured by arrest data. Mala in se and ala prohibtia often express the social function of criminal law. Mala in se are inherently wrong, regardless of whether they are prohibited by law. The crimes go against natural, moral and public principles of a society. Some examples are murder, rape and theft. Mala prohibita are acts that are considered crimes because they have been codified as human made laws. Crime is only considered wrong if it has been prohibited. Having two spouses at once is considered a mala prohibita crime.

Sunday, April 19, 2020

Research Paper About Minute Burger Essay Example

Research Paper About Minute Burger Paper RESEARCH PAPER I. Industry/Company Background Burger Machine is an industry. Minute Burger is an established food franchising company with over 26 years of expertise in the delivery of first-rate food products and food service operations. Since 1982, we have served millions of our on-of-a-kind, hearty, DELICIOUS burgers, in Minute Burger stores all over the Philippines. Today, we continue to explore opportunities and take full advantage of our market potential. We maintain dynamism in developing our product line to suit the various tastes of our growing market. We relentlessly work towards building dependable systems to improve and ensure the highest product and service standards. And, we take our franchising goals a notch higher by jointly envisioning with our partners and by matching our strength with theirs to achieve maximum rewards, not only in our francise business but more importantly, in people’s lives. The market share under the burger on the wheels segment can be described by the following figures based on my observation in today’s market- Minute Burger- 34, Burger Machine-31, Angel’s Burger-21, Buena bonita’s-8 Other’s-6. Minute Burger has now expanded all over the country through franchising. Its franchising package amounting ? 350,000 includes business operations support, management training services and Marketing/ Promotional Support. II. Vision, Mission. Vision We will write a custom essay sample on Research Paper About Minute Burger specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Research Paper About Minute Burger specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Research Paper About Minute Burger specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer By 2020, Minute Burger shall be the Quick Service Food Chain of Choice for the value conscious consumer by providing innovative and environmentally sustainable food products and services that meets global standards through operational excellence; aided by highly competent employees and franchise partners with a shared mind set to create memorable experiences and to also achieve local and international expansion. Mission To create positive customer experience. III. REVISED MISSION STATEMENT 1. CUSTOMER To ensure that each guest receives prompt, professional, friendly and courteous service. To maintain a clean, comfortable and well maintained premises for our guests and staff. 2. PRODUCTS SERVICES To sell delicious and remarkable food and drinks. That the food and drink we sell meets the highest standards of quality, freshness and seasonality and combines both modern-creative and traditional Asian styles of cooking. 3. PHILOSOPHY At Minute Burger, we Believe that Fast Food is about sustaining the satisfaction of people. . EMPLOYEES To provide all who work with us a friendly, cooperative and rewarding environment which encourages long- term, satisfying, growth employment. To keep our concept fresh, exciting and on the cutting edge of the hospitality and entertainment industry. 5. TECHNOLOGY To provide the guests the information about the Minute Burger easier. 6. MARKETS 7. SELF-CONCEPT To ensure that all guests and staff are treated with the respect and dignity they deserve. To than k each guest for the opportunity to serve them. By maintaining these objectives we shall be assured of a fair profit that will allow us to contribute to the community we serve. To provide at a fair price nutritional, well-prepared meals using only quality ingredients. 8. CONCERN FOR PUBLIC IMAGE To actively contribute to sustainable development through environmental protection, social responsibility and economic progress. To us, that means meeting the needs of society today, while respecting the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

Sunday, March 15, 2020

Integrating Sustainability into Business Strategy where Interests Intersect The WritePass Journal

Integrating Sustainability into Business Strategy where Interests Intersect Introduction Integrating Sustainability into Business Strategy where Interests Intersect IntroductionBusiness Benefitâ€Å"Protect it†26 – Regulations and Reputationâ€Å"Run it†33 Operationsâ€Å"Grow it†43 Innovation and MarketingRole of StrategyStrategic Approach to Sustainability  Ã¢â‚¬ËœIntegration’ and ‘Fit’  Does The ‘Sweet-Spot’ Approach Lead to Sustainability?Expectation of no Trade-offsBusiness Model as a WholeCreating a Sustainable Business ModelConclusion  Related Introduction Literature agrees that for sustainability to achieve benefit to business, society and the environment, it must not be an add-on but be integrated into the business.13 In order to integrate sustainability into business strategy Savitz and Weber suggest establishing where areas of â€Å"mutual interest†14 lie, between business strategy and stakeholder interest. They term this the â€Å"sustainability sweet spot: the place where the pursuit of profit blends seamlessly with the pursuit of the common good†15 Businesses operate in an â€Å"interdependent world†16 therefore there is much scope for overlap between stakeholder and business interests agree, recommending companies focus on â€Å"the points of intersection†18 rather than the tension and frictions between business and society. Points of intersection arise, in product offering, along the value chain and in the competitive context, that provide opportunity for â€Å"creating shared value†19 Drucker has encouraged companies, since 1955, to â€Å"make the public good become the private good of the enterprise†20 More recently, The Forum for the Future argues that â€Å"smart businesses†21 will profit from sustainability issues by â€Å"finding ways to give us what we need and want whilst maintaining the eco-system services on which we rely.†22 Business Benefit Points of intersection occur in product offering, throughout the value chain, and in the competitive context, providing much scope for sustainability activities. According to Savitz and Weber, sustainability activities have the potential to enhance your business in three ways. They can help to â€Å"protect it, run it, and grow it†24 Although using different terminology, this concept is â€Å"Protect it†26 – Regulations and Reputation Integrating sustainability into the business strategy reduces risk by ensuring compliance with existing regulations but also preparing for, influencing27 and reducing the risk of impending regulatory interventions.28 WWF and Smith add that engaging with stakeholders including Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) can reduce the risk of reputational damage,29 negative campaigns and consumer boycott. De Man and Burns suggest supply-chain partnerships and codes-of-conduct manage risk by recouping control lost through globalization and outsourcing.31 The second two stages suggested by Savitz and Weber move from risk management to include opportunity maximization, reflecting the shift observed by Forum for the Future over the past decade. â€Å"Run it†33 Operations As expressed by Forum for the Future, â€Å"Pollution is waste,†¦ it means that your company is paying for something it didn’t use†34 Reducing costs, waste and inefficiencies in operations can increase profitability while keeping the company ahead of regulators. The improved environmental and social impacts can be beneficial for brand enhancement. Porter agrees that â€Å"operational efficiency†35 is important but argues that it is not sufficient to secure a viable business into the long-term. It can be quickly imitated,36 shifting the â€Å"productivity frontier outward†37 and raising efficiencies of the industry as a whole but providing â€Å"relative improvements for no one†38 Without additional strategy this creates â€Å"pressures on costs†39 and â€Å"mutually destructive competition†40 Environment Management Systems can assist reduction of resources used in production. But, as populations and therefore production expands, this reduction becomes ‘relative’ rather than ‘absolute’41. Environmental degradation continues to increase although businesses appear to be addressing the issue. Jackson terms this the â€Å"myth of decoupling†42 Improvements required for absolute decoupling of growth and material usage would require substantial economic investment, with a return-oninvestment timeframe that would not pass traditional calculations. â€Å"Grow it†43 Innovation and Marketing Sustainability provides scope for growth activities including opening access to new markets, increasing share in existing markets, developing innovative new products and processes, increased consumer loyalty and satisfaction, increased scope for alliances and partnerships, and improvement to reputation and brand.44 This area shall be considered in detail in Part 2. In summary, sustainability can be integrated into business where there are areas of mutual interest between the business, environment and society. Areas of intersection occur throughout the value chain. Sustainability activities can provide business benefits such as: managing risk of regulation; managing risk of reputational damage in consumer, investor and employment markets; re-couping control lost through globalization and outsourcing; reduced operating costs; reputation and brand enhancement; product differentiation; access to new markets and increased share in existing markets; and providing a driver for innovation of product, process and business model. Role of Strategy Strategic Approach to Sustainability Focusing on points of intersection has the potential to benefit the business alongside society and the environment. The danger is that sustainability activities become â€Å"fragmented†45, â€Å"disconnected from the company’s strategy†46, reducing the potential benefit to society, the environment and to the business and opening the company up to risks such as accusations of ‘green-wash’ (see 2.2.1). A fragmented approach leads to â€Å"contradictory practices†47 that reduce the overall benefits produced. Instead sustainability issues should be analysed â€Å"using the same frameworks that guide their core business choices†48 Approached strategically, sustainability becomes a source of progress for both society and the firm, being â€Å"a source of opportunity, innovation, and competitive advantage†49 â€Å"as the business applies its considerable resources, expertise, and insights to activities that benefit society.†50 Considered strategically sustainability activities can compliment and re-enforce each other, working together as a coherent whole.   Ã¢â‚¬ËœIntegration’ and ‘Fit’ Sustainability activities can be realised throughout the business model,51 summarised According to Drucker â€Å"The entire business can be seen, understood and managed as an integrated process†53 â€Å"from raw material procurement†¦to customer service†54 According to Porter, the role of strategy is to â€Å"tighten fit†55 between activities and changes taking place. Strategy considers the company as a whole â€Å"activity system†56, rather than individual activities, combining and configuring activities. â€Å"The success of a strategy depends on doing many things well-not just a few- and integrating among them†57 ensuring that activities are complimentary, having â€Å"consistency†58, are â€Å"reinforcing†59 and provide â€Å"optimization of effort†60 Integrating individual sustainability activities into business units is an improvement from mere philanthropy, but real benefit is achieved when there is integration among activities so that they work together as a coherent whole, re-enforcing and supporting each other. Balancing Stakeholder Interests and Competing Business Objectives The business context contains a range of stakeholders61. FMCG’s are publicly traded companies62, therefore shareholders are among their key stakeholders, along with consumers, governments, employees, communities in which they operate, NGOs and the media. Inevitably conflict arises between stakeholder interests63 especially when consideration is extended to future stakeholder interests, as required by the sustainability agenda64 Porter and Kramer recognize that, like all business activities, sustainability activities require a degree of â€Å"balancing competing values, interests, and costs†65 In some cases the â€Å"conflict of interest between shareholders and other stakeholders†66 can be resolved by considering the long-term interests of shareholders67 In some instances it is possible to create an overlap of interests through innovation68, by â€Å"working to alter consumer preference†69 or by lobbying for regulation that converges these interests. In some instances the activity should simply be halted. Smith argues that â€Å"stakeholder engagement must be at the core†70 of sustainability strategy in order to ensure informed decision-making. Competing business objectives can conflict. Without clear strategy it is likely that sustainability â€Å"trade-offs†71 such as costs will be postponed72 â€Å"which can lead to far greater costs when the company is later judged to have violated its social obligation.†73 Although they do not explicate it, we can add that this postponement can also lead to severe costs to society and the environment. Porter identifies â€Å"the growth trap†74 as a pressure that detracts from strategy, encouraging activities that are not coherent with the system as a whole.75 A strategic framework allows decisions to be made, regarding competing interests and objectives, consistently across the business, maintaining the company’s â€Å"unique and valuable position†76 In order to ensure that sustainability activities fulfill their potential, it is necessary to have them sit within a core strategic framework. In summary, sustainability can be integrated into all aspects of the business. A fragmented approach is inefficient at producing benefit and avoiding risk. But, when considered strategically, sustainability activities can compliment each other, working together as a coherent whole to benefit the business, society and the environment simultaneously. This is when maximum benefit is achieved. Strategy provides the framework for managing competing stakeholder interests and business objectives in a manner consistent with the business as a whole, strengthening the company’s unique position.   Does The ‘Sweet-Spot’ Approach Lead to Sustainability? Expectation of no Trade-offs Walley and Whitehead express caution in allowing ‘sweet-spots’ to dictate sustainability strategy. They accept that ‘win-win’ scenarios exist but argue they are extremely rare and should not form the basis of a company’s sustainability strategy.77 Previous easy wins were achieved without making â€Å"truly fundamental changes in production processes or product design†78 Once ‘low hanging fruit’ has been reaped, addressing sustainability issues becomes an increasingly â€Å"costly and complicated proposition†79 that requires â€Å"long-term commitment and cooperation†80 The occasional ‘win-win’ becomes insignificant when considered alongside the full costs of addressing sustainability issues. The expectation that no trade-offs are required leads to reduced commitment and cooperation when expected win-win’s do not materialise and true costs are realised. Walley Whitehead advocate â€Å"a more integrated way of thinking†81, focusing on the core strategy of the business in order to make â€Å"informed trade-offs between costs and benefits†82 Business Model as a Whole Focusing on ‘sweet-spots’ does not address the impact of the business model as a whole but makes modifications within. Utting argues that corporations have â€Å"skillfully placated the opposition†83 using dialogue, engagement and sustainability activities, without effecting real change to business practices. Focusing on gradual mitigation of negative environmental and social impacts, or increasing positive impacts only to the extent that delivers medium term business benefit, may well provide the desired business benefits, and indeed provide some benefit to society, but results in the continuation of â€Å"current unsustainable trends†84 Looking long term this is detrimental to shareholder value as well as to future stakeholder interests. Jackson argues85 that the constant pursuit of growth, through marketing and innovation86, has led to unsustainable levels of consumption.87 Companies are responsible for encouraging materialistic desires as well as for fulfilling them.88 87 Five planets would be required if current consumption levels of richer nations were achieved globally. (Leonard, A. 2002) Add to this an increased population size and it becomes clear that incremental improvements will not be enough to achieve sustainability (WWF-UK (2001), p12.) 88 Sustainable Development Commission (2009) and Leonard, A. 2010. 19 Leonard argues that making the products a little less damaging will not achieve sustainability.89 More sustainable patterns of consumption must be achieved90 where prosperity is not reliant upon continued â€Å"consumption growth†91 Savitz does not deny that current efforts will not achieve sustainability, but he argues that we cannot make â€Å"extreme shifts†92 without â€Å"modest initiatives first†93 to achieve buy-in from stakeholders essential to the viability of the business. Creating a Sustainable Business Model Drucker advocates asking â€Å"What is our business, what will it be, what should it be?†94 The organisational structure and objectives should be designed to achieve this vision of the company, ensuring integration and consistency throughout, in order to achieve the goals of the business as a whole.95 According to MacDonald, to achieve sustainability one must first have a vision of what sustainability would look like, which can then be planned towards. This â€Å"planning from principles of success†96 or â€Å"back casting from principles†97 matches Drucker’s view of strategy outlined above. Envisioning a sustainable company provides the goal towards which the business structure and objectives can be designed.98 This view is supported by Forum For the Future99, who work with companies â€Å"with positive visions of a sustainable future; finding innovative, practical ways to help realise those visions;†100 MacDonald recognises that interim targets towards achieving the goal of sustainability are useful but these should be planned within an â€Å"overarching strategy†101 and recommends a â€Å"10 30 year horizon†102    Conclusion   Much of the literature on sustainability recommends that companies look for areas of mutual interest between its various stakeholders and focus on integrating sustainability activities. ‘Sweet-spots’ are a vital tool in transitioning a company and its stakeholders towards a sustainable future, but this does not constitute a complete sustainability strategy. Sustainability activities and incremental targets must be set within an ‘over-arching strategy’ designed to achieve the vision of a sustainable company.